Fountain of Youth
by ShainaNight
Summary: The Doctor and Amy decide to visit the legendary Fountain of Youth and find themselves accompanied by a certain Spaniard the Doctor isn't too fond of. Little do they know this is the one adventure that might just change everything.
1. Converse and Conquistadors

**Yeah, so you know how I said I was going to be on hiatus until I made real progress on my novel? Well, I partially lied. I'm counting being twelve pages in as 'real progress'. The reason for this is that I recently I got myself hooked on Doctor Who and couldn't resist writing a story for it. Yes I realize I'm American and have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, taking on something like British sci-fi that's been running since 1963, so please excuse any mistakes.**

**I would also like to warn you that this is going to end up Amy/Eleven. Don't get me wrong, I love Rory and River, but I think the relationship between Amy and the Eleventh Doctor is just too special not to make anything out of it :)**

**I'm going to try to update as much as I can, but I am working on my novel at the same time, so bear with me.**

**Oh and I don't own anything Doctor Who. I may be a writer but I'm nowhere near that brilliant.**

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"Imagine it, Amelia! The real life Fountain of Youth, and we'll be the first to find it!"

Amy Pond just stared at the Doctor, one eyebrow raised in disbelief. "So you're saying the legend's true, yeah?" She responded.

"Well every legend has a grain of truth somewhere in it. Take Nessie, for instance. Don't believe that rubbish about her being some long-surviving dinosaur, because she wasn't anything other than a starwhale with an unusual attraction to water. Doesn't really matter now, does it, considering she got tired of all the attention one day and soared back up to be with the rest of her lot. And then there's Bigfoot. Interesting fellow, met him quite by accident, we had a bit of a disagreement over me landing the TARDIS in his favorite patch of woods—"

"Doctor!"

"What? Oh, right, sorry. Got a little carried away there. As I was saying, the Fountain of Youth does indeed exist, although very few people who go looking for it actually come across it. It all started a couple millennia ago when two colossal lumps of space rock crashed into each other and sent smaller lumps careening out of a Gallifreyan asteroid belt. One of these rocks found its way across space and hurtled down through Earth's atmosphere as a meteor. Its landing site was somewhere in what is now Florida, more specifically in a natural spring bubbling from the side of a mountain. Apparently the meteor had absorbed a small amount of Time Lord energy while it was in the belt, because ever since then the stories about how those who drank from it were instantly restored to younger days spread like wildfire. And you know how humans are, never happy when they get even one microscopic wrinkle or the odd gray hair. Caused quite an uproar in the Age of Exploration."

Amy's mind was reeling with all this new information. Not that it was a shock or anything; when traveling with the Doctor one learned to just accept mindboggling ideas, even if they seemed completely implausible. "What about that Ponce de Leon character? Didn't he go on some sort of expedition or something to search for it?"

"Please don't remind me of that man, Amy." The Doctor paused his fiddling with the TARDIS console to roll his eyes. "Thought he was so good-looking, made all the senoritas swoon over his little black mustache, and then the second he starts getting a bald spot he jumps on a ship at the first mention of a mystical youth-giving spring. Ridiculous, honestly."

"So you knew him?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. I had the misfortune of running into him one evening during a short visit to Salvaleón de Higüey. He made fun of the pair of Converse I was wearing at the time. Not like it was my fault that that particular regeneration was so fond of them."

Amy glanced at the Doctor, with his unruly bangs flopping into his aged blue eyes and that blasted bow tie—today's being the one she had tried to set free by releasing it somewhere along the Milky Way, but of course he had caught her—and couldn't help but smile. She was sure, if they were to meet Ponce de Leon right then, he would have a thing or two more to say about the Doctor's current wardrobe.

"You know you're hopeless, right, Doctor?"

The Doctor looked up at the ginger-haired girl, his eyes twinkling in amusement. "Of course I do, but better that than a stick in the mud like old Poncey, eh?" He pushed down a lever, and the TARDIS began to shake. Amy laughed and grabbed hold of the edge of the console, reveling in the exhilaration of time travel. It never got old, no matter how many times she did it.

There was a familiar whirring sound, signaling that the TARDIS had landed. Both the Doctor and Amy let go of the console and headed for the door.

"Now we shouldn't have to worry about running into too many fountain-seekers, maybe just the random hostile native tribe. If I got the coordinates right then we should have landed at the base of the mountain thousands of years before the Spaniards set one greedy boot on this soil," the Doctor said as Amy reached for the doorknob.

"Well you've never exactly been one to get your coordinates right the first time, have you? At least not without being off about, oh I don't know, twelve years." Amy said pointedly.

The Doctor sighed. "You women never let anything go, do you?"

"Nope. Especially not the Scottish ones. We have a tendency to hold grudges, sometimes for ages."

"Lucky me."

Amy shot him a triumphant smirk before twisting the knob and pulling it. She stood frozen for a moment, her lively green eyes widening in surprise and her face paling. Then she slammed the door shut and leaned against it.

"What's wrong?" The Doctor asked, extracting his sonic screwdriver from a pocket inside his tweed jacket just in case. He sincerely hoped he hadn't ended up on the planet of Flodira again instead. It was a simple mistake, just a reversal of two of the letters, but those two consonants made all the difference considering Flodira's sulfuric atmosphere had a tendency to suffocate you after a while. If its rather unfriendly molten inhabitants didn't get to you first, that is.

"So we were supposed to have landed 'thousands of years before the Spaniards set one greedy boot on this soil', yeah?"

"That's right," the Doctor replied warily.

"You sure about that?"

"Absolutely. Maybe. Completely possibly. Okay, perhaps there's a slight chance that I may have been a little off. Just a smidge."

"Mhmm." Amy pulled open the door. "Some smidge."

They were at the base of the mountain, alright, but it was by no means devoid of Spaniards. Standing a mere five feet from the doors of the TARDIS, complete with a little black mustache and a Conquistador helmet covering up his bald spot, was Juan Ponce de Leon himself. A collection of soldiers he had brought with him on the journey fanned out behind him.

"We meet once again, Señor Doctor. I was hoping you might drop by," the explorer said with a crooked smile.

The Doctor groaned.


	2. Amy's Mistake

**Okay, so I wrote the first chapter and then realized one huge mistake that I made in it. There aren't mountains in Florida, at least not in the part Ponce de Leon would have been in. Highest elevation would be a hill, but most of the state is relatively flat. The saddest thing about it is that I was born in Florida and most definitely knew that. Guess I've been living in Tennessee too long :)**

**Anyway, found a last minute way to fix it, hope it makes sense.**

**Once again I don't own Doctor Who, and so on and so forth...**

**Enjoy, reviews appreciated :)**

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"This is just great. Exactly what I wanted to be doing, trekking up a mountain with a loudmouthed bowtie-mocking Conquistador. Fantastic," the Doctor muttered. He and Amy were hiking a path that wound up the side of the mountain, following the high-pitched noise of the sonic screwdriver, which was acting as a sort tracking device. The Doctor had explained that it was able to pick up on the familiar energy pulse coming from the meteor remains.

"Well you really shouldn't have made fun of his helmet, even if it is too big for his head," Amy reprimanded. "Honestly, this wouldn't have been a problem if you hadn't somehow landed us in 1513."

"I'm starting to think the TARDIS thought she'd be funny and shifted a little in flight," the Doctor said, looking back at Ponce de Leon with a sour expression. The explorer was following them a few yards behind, but his progress was slightly encumbered by the amount of heavy armor that he wore. It couldn't have been very comfortable, especially considering the warm weather.

"You know, I thought there weren't mountains in Florida," Amy mused, studying her rocky surroundings. It struck her that this incline and another one adjacent to it were the only ones in sight, which didn't make sense in a state known for being flat.

"There aren't. When the meteor hit, it created the valley that you see down there. These two mountains are no more than piles of earth pushed up by the impact."

"That must have been one heck of a meteor," Amy remarked.

"Indeed. In the future these 'mountains' will level out a bit and be explained away as unusually large Indian burial mounds."

Noon came and went, and still the little group made its way up the mountain path. The Doctor seemed barely affected by it; he jumped nimbly over the rocks that became stumbling blocks for the others, his breath came easily to him, and not one bead of sweat shone on his forehead. Amy, on the other hand, was wishing for once in her life that she could be an alien as well. Her throat was dry from lack of water, and her breathing was labored. Once neck and neck with the Doctor, she had fallen back a little and ended up in step with Ponce de Leon, who seemed perfectly pleased with this.

"I've never met a senorita quite like you, Amy Pond. Such strange attire, and hair that looks like it's on fire, of all things. And then there's the way you talk to people," the Spaniard remarked, flashing a grin that revealed yellowing teeth. "Not that I mind it, no. I like women with a little pluck."

"Watch it, buster," Amy snapped. She was tired, thirsty, and pretty sure her feet had fallen off half a mile back. The last thing she needed was some Spanish Casanova hitting on her.

But Ponce de Leon wasn't giving up. A few minutes later when they stopped for a well-deserved rest and drink of water, the man decided to occupy the other end of the rock that Amy had taken up residence on. Amy scooted a little farther down, only to find to her annoyance that he merely inched closer every time she moved.

"Your eyes are astonishing, you know. Like unblemished emeralds," the explorer murmured in her ear, fingering a strand of her soft hair.

Amy was milliseconds away from walloping that smug little face of his, but her plans were abandoned when the Doctor forcibly grabbed her arm and pulled her away from him. The Spaniard had to catch himself to keep from falling; he had been all but leaning on her.

"Come along, Pond. There's this rather fascinating bush thing I'd like to show you, just over there," the Doctor announced, steering her away by her shoulders. He glanced back at Ponce de Leon for only a second, but there was enough in that short glance to tell the Conquistador to back off. He knew good and well when he was in enemy territory.

"Got to watch these Spaniards, Amelia. Can't stop chasing after girls for two seconds, even when they're on an entirely foreign continent. It's in their blood, I suppose. If he keeps this up though I'll have no choice but to tell his wife, and believe me, that's something he fears far more than a chance encounter with hostile natives."

In no time at all Doctor was impatient to start off again, so despite their discomforts, the soldiers and Amy continued the climb. Having found her second wind and wanting to stay as far away from Ponce de Leon as possible, Amy went ahead of the group. She began to invent visions of what the Fountain of Youth might look like to pass the time. In her mind's eye she saw what a romanticist artist might paint: a silver waterfall gushing from the side of the mountain into a sparkling pool inlaid with gold and precious stones, with beautiful, colorful flowers bursting with life all around it. It was this image that kept her going, and without noticing she ended up much further ahead of the search party than she had intended.

Eventually, however, when the gold-plated fountain still failed to make an appearance, Amy's excitement waned. With it went her perseverance. She stumbled, leaning against the cliff face for support, and looked down the side of the mountain. The Doctor, the explorer, and the soldiers looked tiny from her vantage point. It would be a while before they reached her. She pulled herself along the cliffside until she found a ledge to sit on and wait.

Unfortunately, the only supply of water was currently in the possession of the soldiers, and Amy was thirsty again. The sun was beating down relentlessly, not helping the situation at all. Amy sighed and pulled off her boots in order to let her sore feet breathe and closed her eyes against the glare, wishing with every fiber of her being for water.

As if in answer to her prayer, her ears caught the faint sound of trickling water, and her eyes snapped open. She slipped back into her shoes and followed the sound to a little stream that looked as if it had been a mighty brook once, a long time ago. It wasn't the clearest liquid Amy had ever seen, but her throat was so dry that she didn't care. Without thinking she sunk to the ground, cupped her hands around the precious water, and gulped it down greedily, not caring when whatever didn't make it into her mouth spilled down her front.

"Amy! What in the world do you think you're doing?"

Two hands grabbed her roughly under the arms and hoisted her up, spinning her around. She found herself facing a rather horrified Doctor.

"Oi, What are you on about?" Amy demanded, wiping away the drips of water from her chin with the back of her hand.

"You drank the water, didn't you." The Doctor's voice was grave.

"I'm sorry, I was thirsty. Your little Spanish buddies down there are kinda hogging the water supply, in case you didn't notice. It's no big deal."

"No big deal? No big deal? Amy, do you not realize what this is?"

"I'm not stupid, Doctor. I know what water is."

"It's not just water, Amelia." The Doctor squatted down and directed his screwdriver at the stream, clicking it a few times before bringing it up to inspect it. "This is what we've been looking for. The one and only Fountain of Youth."

"Shut up." Amy looked down at the seemingly unassuming trickle of water in surprise. This was definitely not the sparkling silver spring she had been expecting. "This wee little thing?"

"Sorry if it's a disappointment but there are worse matters at hand. Like the fact that you drank from it."

"I don't really see what the problem is. The Fountain of Youth's supposed to make you younger. But I'm already young, so shouldn't it not have an effect on me?"

"Oh Amy, think about it. This is Time Lord energy we're talking about. It doesn't ever just not do anything." The Doctor stood up and pointed the screwdriver at Amy, the bright green light shining into her eyes and making her squint. He peered at the end of the device, tapping it against his hand a few times. "Now that is extremely very not good at all."

"What? Doctor, tell me. What's wrong?" Amy didn't feel like there was anything wrong with her. In fact she felt better than she had in years. Her throat was no longer dry, the heat wasn't quite as unbearable, and the pain in her feet had dulled.

"From the moment that tainted water entered your system, your body clock started slowing down. Unless I'm wrong, and I'm never wrong, it's already come to a complete stop by now."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, Amy Pond, that from this point on, twenty-one is as old as you'll ever be. Being normal ends here."


	3. Run

**Just so you guys know, I actually did research the Ponce de Leon thing. Oh Wikipedia how I love thee :) The awesome part is that there's a lot of things about the explorer's visit to Florida that are uncertain, which leaves a good amount of room for the imagination.  
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**Hope you like this chapter, reviews loved of course.**

**Don't own Doctor Who. But you knew that.  
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"So this is it?" Ponce de Leon had finally arrived, completely oblivious to the crisis at hand. His beady, incredulous dark brown eyes were set on the Fountain.

"What, this? No no, just a little rain drainage stream. The real one must be a little further up," the Doctor lied. Amy's mistake had made him realize the full consequences of drinking from the Fountain of Youth, when before he had been so distracted by the idea of discovering the undiscovered that he hadn't given much thought to it.

"Don't think I can be easily fooled, Señor. I heard you two call it the Fountain of Youth with my own ears," Ponce de Leon scoffed. He advanced forward, but the Doctor moved to block his way.

"Listen to me, Poncey. Maybe having eternal youth isn't the best idea."

Ponce de Leon chuckled. "Surely you're jesting, Doctor. Last week was my thirty-ninth birthday. I'm an old man, and let me tell you I'm starting to feel it."

"Oh big whoop. I'm nine hundred and seven years old, for your information."

"It doesn't matter if you never change. Why, you look no more than twenty-seven."

"Trust me, I know what it's like to be and feel old. And I also know that it can be miserable to live forever. Just think how lonely you'll be when all of your family and friends pass on."

"What need do I have for family and friends? All I want to do with my life is explore and conquer new lands. This fountain will fulfill my deepest desires. Now if you don't mind…" the Spaniard pushed the Doctor aside and crouched down beside the stream. He didn't try to stop him this time; there wasn't much he could do.

But before Ponce de Leon had a chance to even reach his hand into the revitalizing water, there was a loud war cry, and a band of buckskin-clad natives burst into the clearing. The explorer and his Conquistadors stumbled back as they converged on them, creating a wall between them and the stream.

"Real live Indians, Doctor," Amy noted, trying to make up her mind if she should be excited or afraid.

"Yes, real live Indians with real live sharp pointy sticks," the Doctor replied, referring to the spears that the natives were brandishing at them. "I believe these charming fellows are part of the Tequesta tribe. It appears their job is to protect the Fountain of Youth. Must be one of the reasons everyone's had such a hard time finding it."

"Well as nice as it would be to say hi and bond over venison or whatever these people eat, I think we should call it a day," Amy said warily. The Tequesta didn't look particularly charming in the least, but maybe it just had something to do with the manner in which they kept threatening them with their handmade weapons. "How do you suggest we get out of this, Doctor?"

"The usual way, of course."

"Run?"

"Precisely."

Seconds later the Doctor and Amy were sprinting down the mountain path. Amy tripped and fell a few times, but her friend was always there to help her up. Ponce de Leon and his soldiers were running too, and although their armor was slowing them down once more, their pace never faltered. When you have a band of angry whooping Indians with sharp spears on your heels you tend to forget about such trivial things as sixty-pound armor.

"Almost there, Pond! Just a little farther," the Doctor urged his gasping companion, who unlike him did not have an extra heart to help her blood circulate twice as fast.

When they at last reached the TARDIS, the Doctor flung open the door and practically threw Amy inside. He slammed the door shut behind him, locked it, and raced up the steps to the controls. The blue box began to quake once more, leaving 1513 Florida and Ponce de Leon far behind.

"I am never doing anything like that ever again. Next time you want to go traipsing after a legendary landmark protected by angry natives, count me out," Amy announced, still trying to catch her breath. She plopped down in the chair near the TARDIS console and watched the Doctor as he parked the machine somewhere in the great void of deep space. Then he turned to face Amy, running his hand through his unkempt hair. The girl knew exactly what was on his mind.

"There's gotta be some way to reverse it, right? I mean, I can't just be stuck at twenty one forever. I have plans. I still have to marry Rory in the morning a very long time from now," Amy said desperately.

The Doctor looked at her remorsefully. "I'm so very sorry. If there was something I could do, I would have done it."

Amy's sharp eyes locked on his, searching them for the truth. When she found it, her face crumpled. "No. No, it can still work, I know it can."

"It won't Amy. You'd only be hurting him. Just picture your future together if you were to marry him. Marvelous Rory, kind Rory, getting gradually older as the years pass, just as he should. And then there'd be you, always the same, always twenty one, never changing, never aging. People would start to wonder about the age gap between you two, and then they'd begin mistaking you for his daughter and, eventually, granddaughter. What would you tell your families? What if someone discovered the truth? Not to mention the fact that one day he'll reach the end of his years—"

"Stop it." Tears were streaming down Amy's face, and her bottom lip was trembling slightly. "Don't even say it."

"Oh Amy." The Doctor pulled her towards him, resting his cheek on the top of her head and running his hand through her thick red hair. She clung to him, sobbing into his jacket as the comprehension of what one little drink of water had done to her future. Rory was slipping out of her grasp and there was nothing she could do about it. He wasn't even aware of it yet.

They stood there for some time, the Doctor comforting his companion. The concern he had for her was sincere; he truly regretted bringing her somewhere that ended up removing part of her humanity. But he couldn't help feeling a bit lighthearted knowing this meant she wouldn't be leaving him. Amy didn't belong in her own time anymore, or with normal, mortal Rory in Leadworth, and, he reasoned, it would be unfair to return her there.

Amy pulled back, wiping the tears from her eyes and putting on a brave face. "Wait, this doesn't make me a Time Lord, does it? Or rather Time Lady, I guess."

"Not at all." The Doctor closed his hand over hers and placed it on her chest so she could feel the steady beat of her heart. "Only one heart, see? You're still human, just with an infinitely longer life span."

"So no regenerating?"

"I don't believe so. The energy in the fountain wasn't nearly strong enough to change you that much."

"Thank goodness. Didn't really fancy turning into an oddball like you."

"Hey, I rather like being an oddball, thank you very much."

"Yeah, I noticed." Amy tweaked his bowtie, grinning, but the expression soon faded. "I need to see him again. Just one more time, to explain what happened and why…why I can't be with him."

The Doctor nodded in understanding. He lifted her chin and planted a reassuring kiss on her forehead. "He at least deserves that much."

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**Oh, and one more thing. This isn't set exactly in the timeline of the episodes. Like, it's after Amy tells the Doctor she's getting married, but in this version Rory never joined the TARDIS crew, and there isn't a Pandorica or a River Song. I might change some things around though, so be warned :)**


	4. Home Sweet TARDIS

**I know I said I might not be able to update as much, but apparently I can't stop lol.**

**Enjoy, please review :)**

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It was a calm, peaceful night in Leadworth—not that every night wasn't, for as far as sleepy towns where nothing really ever happens go, Leadworth was at the top of the list. Crickets chirped their monotone songs in the black grass, which swayed gently in the smallest of breezes. The midnight-blue sky was clouded, but every once and a while the moon or a fearless star would poke their bright heads out the look down on the slumbering world.

It was on this night that the TARDIS appeared, landing quite unceremoniously on the geraniums growing in the patch of garden behind Rory William's townhome.

"Well that's a real shame. I've never exactly been fond of geraniums but it was a bit cruel of you to squash 'em, old girl," the Doctor muttered to the blue-painted doorframe as he surveyed the damage that had been done. The TARDIS's only reply was a mechanical wheezing sound that was slightly reminiscent of laughter.

"What, you think she did it on purpose?" Amy asked.

"Not positive, but you never know. Landing in 1513 looked like an accident too."

"Yeah, not taking into consideration who the pilot was."

"Alright, enough of that," the Doctor said, changing the subject. He prodded Amy outside. "I'll be right here waiting for you, okay?"

Amy smiled nervously and nodded. For a moment she clung to the hand that he had helped her over the retaining wall of the garden with, but eventually she was force to unthread her fingers from his. She squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and strode towards the townhome.

Rory was still fast asleep, despite all the noise the TARDIS had made. In fact he was snoring, so loudly that when Amy walked through the door her first thought was that some kind of renegade bear had gotten in. She figured it out pretty quickly, however, and followed the sound upstairs to his room.

Rory looked so much like a boy when he was sleeping, and almost unconsciously Amy traced a finger over the planes of his face. His snores erupted into an unattractive snort, but still he did not wake.

"Rory. Ror-ay!"

"I swear I didn't touch the biscuit jar!" Rory shouted, half asleep, as he shot up into a sitting position. The sight of his fiancée perched on the edge of his bed was enough to sober him up completely. "Amy, what are you doing here? How'd you get in?" He asked in surprise.

"You keep a key under your back door mat, remember? And by the way, you snore like a bear. Just thought you might like to know."

"But why are you here? It's the middle of the night!"

"It's only ten forty five, actually. I needed to talk to you."

"It couldn't have waited till morning? We're getting married tomorrow, you know."

"Nope, it couldn't. Because…" Amy paused, unsure of how she was going to put this. "Because I won't be here in the morning."

Rory's face turned ashen. "What do you mean?"

Amy sighed. "It's a long story. You'd think I was crazy. Well, you probably already think I'm crazy; four psychiatrists and all."

"I never thought you were crazy. I believe everything you told me about the Raggedy Doctor," Rory said softly, making Amy feel even more guilty. He pushed aside the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed so that he was sitting next to her. In a normal situation Amy would have made fun of the duck-patterned pyjamas he was wearing, but not this time. "This has something to do with him, doesn't it?"

"Sorta," Amy replied. She clasped his hand tightly in hers. "Rory, I'm sorry, I really am. But I can't marry you anymore."

"Because he came back for you, didn't he?" It was a statement, not a question.

"It's not like that, Rory. He's my friend and nothing else." Amy didn't plan on telling him about the time she kissed him. She honestly didn't know where her head had gone that night and blamed it on the Weeping Angels every time she remembered it. The Doctor had been kind enough to pretend as if it had never happened, writing it off as an aftereffect of nearly dying.

"Beautiful, stubborn Amy. I'm not an idiot. I knew it was too good to be true, someone like me getting someone as fantastic as you. I think I've always known deep down that it wasn't meant to be."

"But I love you," Amy argued.

"I know. But not in the way you think you do. Maybe all we were ever meant to be was best friends."

"You're much more important to me than that, Rory Williams."

Rory smiled wanly and kissed her on the lips. Although she enjoyed the kiss, it seemed different than before, as if she was just now starting to awake from a long dream of believing having a family with him in Leadworth was what she always wanted. Maybe she did belong in that mad blue box after all.

"I love you too. I always will," Rory told her before letting go of her hands. His words were a final farewell, meant to send her on her way. Amy took them as her cue and stood up to leave, wiping a tear from her eye as she did.

"I want you to promise me you find a girl who deserves someone as special as you. Preferably one not half-mad who insists on chasing after flying blue police boxes," she said, only partly joking.

Rory caught the undertone of seriousness. "I promise," he replied.

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"So how'd it go?" The Doctor asked, a little anxious for the answer. During Amy's absence he had been running different scenarios through his head involving if she decided to stay. He was in the middle of debating if it would be worth risking her wrath if he knocked her out and dragged her aboard the TARDIS when she returned.

"Not bad, actually. He let me go," Amy replied, her voice empty.

The Doctor could hear the sadness in her tone clear as day. He grasped her hands and rubbed circles into the palms with his thumbs. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," Amy said, mustering her courage. She didn't want him to see her cry. "So where to now?" She asked.

"Bed."

Amy looked at her friend quizzically as he leapt up onto the platform in the center of the room and began pulling the levers that would propel them back into space. "What?"

"Being a Time Lord I don't have much need for sleep, but I can tell when a human requires it. You're dead on your feet, Pond," the Doctor said.

It wasn't until he said this that Amy suddenly realized just how fatigued she was. She had been so preoccupied with the Fountain of Youth and Rory that she had entirely ignored the signals her body had been trying to relay to her. Now it hit her all at once, and she swayed on the spot. The Doctor was there in an instant, scooping her up into his arms.

"Guess what?" The Doctor said softly, his face only inches away from hers.

"What?" Amy asked, her eyelids drooping. She was having a hard time focusing on him.

"Gotcha."

Amy grinned and rested her head against his chest, feeling safe and warm in his arms. By the time he had carried her to her room and laid her down on the bed, she was already fast asleep.

"Sweet dreams, my magnificent Amelia Pond," the Doctor said, tucking the covers around her and planting a kiss on her forehead before retiring to his own room.

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The Doctor was lying in his bed, contemplating if he should take a completely unnecessary nap in order to pass the time in which Amy slept, when his sensitive hearing picked up on muffled sobs originating from the direction of his companion's room. Like a flash he was on his feet and heading towards the sound.

Amy was curled up in a ball, tears streaming down her face, the sheets tossed aside carelessly. She was still asleep, but her eyelids were twitching, indicating REM sleep: the dream state. Every once and a while she whimpered and muttered things that sounded like 'sorry' and 'Rory'.

The Doctor felt a pang in his chest at the sight. It was his fault she was suffering, his fault that not even her subconscious was allowing her relief from the pain of having to leave her fiancé. In an effort to remedy the problem, he lay down behind her and stroked her fiery hair out of her face, whispering words of comfort into her ear. Almost immediately the tears stopped flowing, and with a sigh she relaxed back into his touch.

The Doctor knew that his job was done, that he could go back to his room now and find something to do until Amy's sleep cycle was complete. But for some reason he didn't move. He figured that maybe his presence might ward off any future nightmares. Or at least it seemed like a good enough excuse for him to stay, to wrap his arms around her soft frame and burrow his face into her sweet-smelling neck.

Maybe even a Time Lord could do with a few hours of sleep every once and a while.


	5. Towels and Smiley Face Breakfasts

**This is meant to be more of a filler chapter, but I promise there's more exciting stuff to come. Hope you like it anyway, please review :)**

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When Amy woke up the following 'morning', the Doctor was long gone. For a moment she lay there, remembering the nightmare she'd had, and then the wonderful dream that had succeeded it. It had to have been a dream, she mused, for she knew the Doctor would never hold her like that in reality. He had made it clear that night in her old room when he pushed her away, and besides, she wasn't about to put any stock in fairytale dreams.

With a sigh Amy stumbled out of bed. Realizing she was still wearing the clothes she had hiked up the mountain in, the ginger-haired girl decided a hop in the shower wouldn't hurt. As she rinsed the dirt and oil from her skin and hair in an antique tub, she secretly thanked the TARDIS for including such amenities as a bathroom. She was pretty sure that if it was up to the Doctor it might have been left out by accident.

Feeling sufficiently clean, Amy stepped out of the shower and wrapped a soft terrycloth towel around her. She was just rifling through the drawers in her room for something to wear when the Doctor himself came bursting through the door without any warning, making her scream.

"Doctor! Ever heard of knocking?" Amy demanded, clutching her towel so close to her body that it cut into her skin.

The Doctor, who had definitely not planned on walking in on his companion when she was wearing nothing more than a towel, seemed stunned for a moment. He slapped a hand over his eyes and started stammering. "Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean—I mean it's not like I knew you were—I'll just be going now." And with that he turned around, fully intending to leave the way he had come. He had forgotten, however, to uncover his eyes and ended up colliding with the door first, followed by the floor. "Ow," he said, his nose stinging from where it had smacked the wood.

"Out!" Amy shrieked, using her other hand that wasn't clutching the towel to her chest to reach down and pull the bottom of it tighter to her legs. She didn't like this new vantage point of his too much.

The Doctor didn't need to be told twice. Jumping to his feet, he ran out of there as fast as his long legs could carry him, promising himself that he would never enter another female's room without knocking first. Or perhaps, at least for the next few days, he'd just avoid such dangerous places altogether.

* * *

The towel incident was not discussed. A couple minutes later, Amy entered the TARDIS kitchen dressed in black skinny jeans, ballet flats, and a navy-blue knit V-neck, her ginger hair still a little damp and several shades darker as a result. She sat down at the breakfast table and asked her friend to pass the blackberry jam in a very un-Amy-ish way—in other words, she said it politely.

"I made you something," the Doctor announced after relinquishing the aforementioned jam, unable to hide the excitement in his voice.

Amy looked up from the toast she was smothering to see him set a Blue Willow-patterned plate in front of her, on which was a pancake, two eggs, and a strip of bacon arranged in the shape of a smiley face. The Doctor hoped it would make a good I'm-dreadfully-sorry-I-waltzed-into-your-room-without-thinking-while-you-were-barely-clothed peace offering. His first idea had been to shred the bacon into little pieces and spell out that very message, but then he realized it would have taken ages and, possibly more importantly, was an extremely stupid idea to begin with.

Amy suppressed a snort of laughter, so as not to hurt the Doctor's feelings. It really had been sweet of him to do this for her. In fact she couldn't remember a time when anyone ever made her a smiley-faced breakfast, not even when she was a little girl. Her aunt hadn't held with such ideas, believing the first meal of the day to be a sensible affair. "Thanks. I love it," she told him truthfully.

The Doctor, who never knew what to expect when it came to Amy, smiled in relief and returned to his fish custard. They ate in companionable silence for some time.

"So I was thinking we should visit somewhere peaceful for a change," the Doctor suggested halfway through the meal.

"Like a holiday away from all the warmongering aliens and monsters and other baddies, yeah?" Amy remarked, shoveling in her rather optimistic breakfast.

"Exactly. There's this planet, Dulkis, that I haven't been to in ages. It's inhabited by the Dulcians, an extremely docile race that even went so far as to ban weapons at one point. Not the smartest idea considering it nearly got them killed, but there you go. I figure we could land a couple decades after the last time I was there, give them a while to recover from being invaded."

"You sure the TARDIS won't 'shift in flight' again and land us right in the middle of this invasion whatsit?" Amy asked doubtfully.

"Of course. Hopefully. Trust me, Amy, it'll be fine."

Amy wasn't feeling particularly trusting at the moment, but she had always been a sucker for that goofy grin of his. "Fine, we can go. Although I am a little curious, what did happen the last time you were there?"

"Really long story, but basically this overlord kind of race known as the Dominators and their allies, the Quarks, decided to enslave the Dulcians and turn their planet into rocket fuel for their fleet. Got it all sorted out eventually, but it was a pretty big mess. I almost lost the TARDIS to a volcanic eruption."

"Poor, poor TARDIS. She has to put up with so much, having you as her pilot. No wonder she stuck you with ole Poncey."

"Well it's not like it was anything major. Just a simple little explosion, she pulled together alright in the end."

"Oh for goodness sake, Doctor." Sometimes Amy wish she knew more about the Doctor's life before she met him, but then again she wasn't sure she did. Both he and his time machine had been through a lot together, tragedy and loss and a never ending series of new faces. As broken as her own past was she didn't think she'd be able to handle nine hundred years of what the Doctor had come to view as the norm. "Just promise me one thing," she said suddenly.

"What?"

"We go back to the warmongering aliens and monsters and other baddies shortly after this holiday. Life can get pretty dull without them."

The Doctor laughed. "Agreed. Although I can't see life ever being dull as long as you're around, Amy Pond."

* * *

**Dulkis actually is a planet in the Doctor Who universe, by the way. The Dulcians made their appearance in the Dominators, an episode from 1968, during the reign of the Second Doctor. I thought they were interesting :)**


	6. What Happens on Dulkis Stays on Dulkis

Dulkis was a beautiful planet, to be sure. The climate was favorable, the landscape vibrantly green and picturesque, and the pale lavender sky shining with silver light from two small suns. The air thrummed with birdsong, although it was unlike any Amy had ever heard before: soft and melodic, more like harp strings being plucked than the noise of a living creature. Sparkling white marble citadels and other buildings soared gracefully to meet the sky in the distance.

"See, what did I tell you? Paradise," the Doctor said proudly, gesturing towards the sight before them.

"I never have seen a purple sky before. It's definitely something," Amy said, breathing in deeply. The air carried the faint scent of lavender and honeysuckle, with the slightest hint of vanilla. "Doctor, what in the world are you doing with those?"

The Doctor looked at her curiously. In his hands were a folding lawn chair and an inflatable beach ball. "Relaxing, of course. Didn't get to use these last time."

"You're honestly going to lug those all the way to the city? Doctor, it's gotta be at least two miles from here."

The Doctor stared at the objects, obviously considering this. "Good point," he said at last, and tossed them both back into the TARDIS. "Now, shall we be going?"

Amy linked her arm through his, a glimmer of anticipation in her bright green eyes, and together they strolled towards Dulkis's capitol.

Apparently they had come at a good time, for the Dulcians seemed to be in the middle of some sort of festival. The white brick-paved roads of the city were festooned with flowers that bore a resemblance to Earth's lilies and foxglove. They were affixed to columns, doorways, and balustrades with colorful silken ribbons and perfumed the air with the very scent Amy had detected after stepping out of the TARDIS. Although the streets were crowded, the inhabitants of the city moved about each other respectfully, their movements as fluid as the pristine white robes they wore, and joyous laughter rang out all around them.

The Doctor watched his friend warmly, delighting in every smile and laugh and the happiness that shone in her expression. She was so beautiful when she was happy. But then again, he mused, he also thought her beautiful when she was angry or upset, and had to conclude that, if she ever looked unattractive at all it must be when he wasn't looking. Which meant on very rare occasions.

"Excuse me. Excuse me, miss!" The Doctor said to a pretty young woman who was offering flower garlands to passerby. She was dressed in the oddest attire, which consisted of something similar to a one piece bathing suit that was covered with a sheer white gown from the empire waist to the knee. Her light blond hair was pulled back into a braid with delicate blossoms twisted throughout it.

"Yes sir?" The woman said with a friendly smile. Without even realizing it, Amy instinctively tightened her hold the Doctor's arm.

"Sorry, but we're not exactly from around here. Could you tell me what this festival is called?" The Doctor inquired.

"Of course. It's the Festival of the Doctor," the young woman supplied.

"Interesting name for a festival," the Doctor said, his eyebrows shooting up at the mention of his moniker. He and Amy exchanged surprised looks.

"Yes, I suppose it is. It was initiated to celebrate the day a stranger to our world rescued us from the Dominators, who invaded our planet a couple decades ago. Every Dulcian child has been brought up on the stories."

"Well fancy that, Doctor. You're a celebrity," Amy whispered in an amused voice.

"There's to be a great feast tonight down by the lake, if you would like to come. It's open to everyone," the woman added.

"Yes, that sounds lovely. Although I was wondering if I could ask a favor from you, miss…"

"Tamh."

"Right then, Tamh. Would you mind showing my friend and me around your impressive city? Being new here we find ourselves in grave need of a tour guide."

"I would be delighted to," the woman replied agreeably.

Although Amy wasn't particularly fond of her at first, she had to admit that they learned so much more than if they had explored on their own. Tamh told them that, although simply called the Capitol City most of the time, the metropolis's true ancient name was Solas, which in their language meant 'light'. It was governed by a council much wiser than the one that had been in place back when the Dominators invaded, lifting the ban on war only in the case of defense. As a result the planet had enjoyed uninterrupted peace for many years.

Solas was so extensive that, by the time Tamh was finished with the tour, the suns were already beginning to set.

"Come on! The feast begins immediately at sunset," Tamh said, pulling both the Doctor and Amy with her through the crowds.

A Dulcian feast was quite a sight to behold. Four long banquet tables draped in pure white linen spanned out along the shore of the lake, the waters of which glistened like freshly-cut amethysts in the fading light. Food of every shape and size that was unrecognizable yet no less appetizing was laid out on the tables, resting on silver platters and accompanied by jeweled goblets. A profusion of sweet-smelling flowers burst from crystal vases set out at varying points along the table, and lavender taper candles illuminated the bounty.

Being the gentleman that he was, the Doctor pulled out a chair for Amy before sitting in one directly beside her. The Dulcians had already filled most of the seats and, without waiting to be told, helped themselves to the food before them. The newcomers followed suit and were pleasantly surprised by the excellent taste of the alien delicacies they tried.

"I think I'm going to explode," Amy said five courses in. By that time the suns had already sunk below the horizon, turning the sky a deep violet. "Guess I shouldn't have eaten that last—whatever this is," she remarked, holding up some sort of pastry.

"Well, seeing as it would be rather messy, I'd rather you not explode. Nor I, for that matter," the Doctor announced, who had eaten about the same amount. They were both slumped back in their chairs, amazed that the Dulcians never seemed to run out of room.

A few minutes later, an enormous bonfire was lit closer to the lakeside. An unseen band struck up a lilting, merry tune, and couples began to leave the table and dance in pairs around it.

"Oh I just love a good dance, don't you love a good dance, Amy?" The Doctor exclaimed, perking up right away.

"Considering I can't dance, no," Amy replied.

"Come on, Pond. It's just like breathing, except with feet. No wait, not like breathing with your feet, because that would be awkward unless you're a Cosanailan, and even they have problems when it comes to shoes."

"Are you crazy? I have two left feet! No means no," Amy said firmly, crossing her arms and ignoring the hand the Doctor held out to her.

"Two left feet? Really?" The Doctor said excitedly, checking under the tablecloth to see if she was telling the truth.

"Good lord, it's just an expression!" Amy said, tucking her feet under her chair.

"Please, Amelia. For me."

There was that goofy grin again. Amy swore that it would be the death of her one day.

"Alright, but just this once," she said with a sigh.

The Doctor's grin widened as Amy reached out and put her hand in his. He dragged her to the edge of the lake and pulled her closer to him, one hand on the small of her back. The dance was very much like a waltz and not that difficult to pick up on. Amy, who had never been able to master the art of dancing at all in the past, suddenly found it a very natural thing to do with the Doctor as her partner. The firelight made his blue eyes flicker enigmatically, and Amy couldn't help but be mesmerized by them every time they locked with hers.

"I told you. Nothing to it," the Doctor murmured in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

"Or maybe you're just as bad as I am," Amy joked.

The lively tune ended and was replaced by a slower melody. The Doctor dropped both his hands to her waist, and she tucked her head beneath his chin, where she could hear the rhythmic thumping of his hearts. They forgot about everything, even the dancers around them, losing themselves in their own world.

All too soon the waltz was over, and the Dulcians watching began clapping and cheering wildly. The Doctor and Amy were thrown back into reality and drew away from each other, only a little embarrassed.

"Congratulations, you two!" Tamh said elatedly, appearing out of nowhere.

"Um, not to be rude, but what for?" Amy asked, confused.

Tamh stared at her as if it should have been the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'm sorry, I just assumed—when I saw you two together earlier, and then when you got up to dance—I completely forgot you aren't from here…" the woman looked a little flustered, but she was able to pull herself together fairly quickly. "This dance you just performed is one of our oldest traditions, dating back centuries. It's one of the few times in an annual that couples can be legally joined together by the laws of the universe. We call it the Bonding Waltz."

"Oh dear," the Doctor muttered, all the color draining from his face.

"Are you trying to tell me that I—that we—just got married?" Amy asked in disbelief.

"Basically, yes."

* * *

**Bet you didn't see that coming, mwaha :). Okay some things to mention. I watched a bit of The Dominators episode, which is where I got the Doctor bringing his folding chair and beach ball on his last visit. Also, the description of what the Dulcians wear is taken from that episode. What Dulkis looks like, however, had to be completely invented, since in the episode everything is black and white and not the best picture quality, besides being extremely corny lol.  
**

** Also, Tamh (pronounced 'Tav') is an old Gaelic word meaning rest, quiet**, **which I thought applied pretty well. Solas actually does mean light, but it's actually also from Gaelic. 'Cosanailan' was created by combining the Gaelic words 'cos' and 'anail'****, meaning 'foot' and 'breath' respectively. Apparently I'm on a Gaelic kick :)  
**


	7. Beware the Lion

**Reviews loved, don't own Doctor Who, all that good stuff.**

* * *

"Amy, how many times do I have to say I'm sorry? It was an accident!"

"People don't just 'accidentally' get married, Doctor."

Amy was pacing the floor of the TARDIS console room, a million thoughts buzzing in her head like furious bees. "Isn't there some way to annul it?"

"Like I've said a million times, you can't just annul something put in place by the laws of the universe. It's just about impossible. The universe takes 'till death do us part' a little too seriously."

Amy sighed and sank down on one of the steps. She glanced once more at her left hand. As soon as the Bonding Waltz had come to an end, a strange mark had appeared on the ring finger, like a henna tattoo twisted into the likeness of a vine. The only difference was that it refused to come off.

The Doctor sat down next to her. He understood what she was going through: first being burdened by immortality, then saying goodbye to the world she had grown up in, and now joined with him for the remainder of her life. He hadn't intended for any of this to happen.

"Maybe being married isn't such a bad thing. I mean, it would be easier to explain when we visited places, especially the planets with more staunchly traditional cultures," the Doctor thought aloud. "Believe it or not, there are a number of times and places where an unmarried woman traveling alone with a man who is not related to her in the confines of a box would be considered scandalous."

Amy wanted to say that traveling around in a big blue box was enough to make people talk, but she held her tongue for once. "What am I supposed to be called now, anyway? Do you even have a surname?"

"You'll find that surnames become largely irrelevant in the future, Amelia. And besides, I wouldn't change your name for the world. It's like a fairytale." The Doctor smiled, brushing a stray ginger lock away from her face.

"I just wasn't prepared for something like this. It kinda threw me for a loop, and I don't know what to do." Amy leaned her head against his shoulder wearily.

"Come on now, that doesn't sound like that confident little Scottish girl I know," the Doctor said playfully, pulling away for a moment in order to lightly punch her in the shoulder. "Oi! Okay, I take it back," he added after receiving a not-so-light punch in return.

"So we just go on pretending like this didn't happen, yeah? Exploring all of time and space, just you and me. The best of friends."

"The mad, magnificent Amy Pond and her imaginary friend," the Doctor replied, refusing to look her straight in the eye. For some reason he didn't feel like entirely forgetting what had happened on Dulkis.

Amy patted his knee and got up, heading to her room in order to get ready for bed. As soon as she had disappeared, the TARDIS hummed disapprovingly.

"What? You heard her. She doesn't want to be a time traveler's wife," the Doctor told his ship.

The TARDIS made another noise, one that only her pilot could understand.

"What do you mean, 'in love with her'? I'll have you know I'm just a mite fond of her and nothing more. She doesn't want anything besides friendship, anyway." The Doctor paused, listening. "Well you are a cheeky little thing, aren't you? I am _not _in denial."

"Doctor, are you talking to yourself?"

The Doctor nearly jumped out of his skin when he realized Amy was standing at the top of the staircase, dressed in a linen nightie. Her red hair had been brushed out and now cascaded over her shoulders in soft waves. The Doctor gulped.

"Just having a little chat with the TARDIS. Old girl's been a bit ornery as of late," the Doctor said, scrambling for an excuse.

This seemed to satisfy Amy, although she walked away muttering something about strange alien men being on their own for much too long.

* * *

The following days were filled with all the adventure Amy could have ever dreamed of. They visited a settlement on Mars in the thirty-fourth century that was being plagued by a so-called 'crater monster', which the two of them sent packing—only after they were nearly eaten by it. The next stop was somewhere in the Himalayas, where several villagers had sworn they'd seen a Yeti stealing their children at night. It turned out to be an alien, as the Doctor predicted, that landed on Earth by accident and was making the best of it. He was a little easier to deal with; at least after Amy learned he was partial to bright shiny things and successfully lured him into a trap.

"Whew! That Yeti-impersonator wasn't one for personal hygiene, was he?" Amy remarked, catching a whiff reminiscent of sewage coming from the two of them as they reentered the TARDIS.

"Well Migoi do have a rather intense dislike of water," said the Doctor, his eyes stinging after sniffing his sleeve. "This was my favorite jacket too. It's going to take at least three good turns in the washing machine to get the stench out."

A proper shower and a change into clean, Migoi odor-free clothing later, both he and Amy returned to the console room feeling a great deal better. The Doctor wasted no time in accessing a map of one of the Milky Way's sister galaxies on the screen and showed it to his companion. "So, where to next, Pond?"

Amy was just about to pick out a planet at random when the TARDIS began to shake violently.

"Doctor! What's happening?" Amy yelled, grabbing a hold of a nearby railing.

"TST, feels like!" the Doctor shouted back, clinging to the console.

"What in the world is that?"

"Time Space Turbulance! Perfectly normal, nothing to worry about. The only problem is, I haven't taken off yet!"

Amy was about to ask him how the TARDIS could have taken off by itself when the ship jerked one last time, so roughly that it caught her off guard. She lost her grip on the railing slid across the floor, slamming into the nearest wall.

"Amy!" The Doctor let go of the console and sprinted across the room, pretty sure his hearts had stopped beating for a second.

Amy was sitting up, apparently unhurt apart from a nasty lump forming on the back of her head. She touched it and inhaled sharply from the pain. "You know, it may be a good idea to install a couple seatbelts in this thing. And perhaps pad the walls or something," she said with a groan.

Regardless of Amy's protest, the Doctor inspected her bump and other bruises to ensure they weren't too serious.

"There's no sign of concussion or bleeding, so I suppose you're fine," he said, concern written into the lines of his face that were both ancient and not at the same time.

"Shouldn't it be the TARDIS we should be worrying about? That last jolt felt an awful lot like a crash," Amy remarked, trying not to notice he was so close she could feel the body heat pulsing from his skin. She much rather preferred her head be clear if they were experiencing some kind of crisis.

"Yes, right," the Doctor said, looking a little distracted. He jumped to his feet and helped Amy up, and together they headed for the door. The Doctor opened it a crack and stuck his head through the opening, checking to make sure the atmosphere was stable before leading the way outside.

The TARDIS had landed inside what looked like an abandoned corridor, the walls, floors, and ceiling of which were made of bolted steel. The fluorescent lights overhead flickered as if to enhance the ominous feeling the corridor instilled.

"Doctor, where are we?" Amy asked, not feeling particularly confident at the moment.

"Dunno. Looks like a service corridor, below the decks of…some sort of craft," the Doctor replied, a myriad of thoughts running through his head as he examined their surroundings. He glanced at her with an audacious gleam in his eye. "Only one way to find out."

"Yes, because I always wanted to go galumphing down a hallway where something that wants to kill me is probably lurking in the shadows," Amy muttered. Despite this, she followed close behind her friend. His presence made her feel a sense of security no matter what kind of danger they faced.

Further exploration revealed a metal spiral staircase curving up to higher decks. The higher they went, the nicer the corridors became. Eventually they reached a short, red-carpeted hallway, at the end of which stood an ornate wooden door. Without hesitating, the Doctor turned the crystal doorknob.

Beyond the door was a marble-tiled ballroom with a gold-enameled ceiling that soared sky-high, from which hung a crystal chandelier. Most of the walls were covered in mullioned windows that looked out on the vast, cold nothingness of space, the only stars that could be seen twinkling faintly in the distance.

"Enjoying the view?"

With a start, Amy realized for the first time that they weren't alone. The Doctor, on the other hand, seemed not at all phased. He watched the man in the corner calculatingly; a guarded look that nevertheless revealed that he was slightly impressed.

"Truly amazing, how you were able to manipulate the TARDIS like that. The Time Space Turbulance idea was ingenious, I must say," he said, his eyes never leaving the man.

"I try," the man said proudly, moving closer. He was quite young, probably only a few years older than Amy, yet his eyes were black and hard and bore no trace of the joy of youth. His hair was nearly shoulder length and wheat-colored, reminding Amy of a lion's mane. The suit he wore was crisply-pressed and plainly expensive, complete with a silk tie and silver cuff links, and his black patent leather shoes were polished to perfection.

"The thing is, only a Time Lord could possess that kind of ingenuity, that kind of knowledge." The Doctor walked up to the stranger and circled around him, as if it would help him figure out the mystery. "Who exactly are you? Have we met before?"

"No, dear Doctor, I have never had the misfortune of meeting you in the past. But I believe you knew my father for a very long time. And my mother, although briefly." The man smiled twistedly, revealing a row of white, even-set teeth. "My name is Leonard Saxon. Figured it out yet?"

* * *

**Okay so I have to admit I really haven't seen that many 10th Doctor episodes, but I did see the Sound of Drums, which influenced this chapter a bit. In the episode, the Master creates an alias on Earth as Harold Saxon, a successful politician, who aspires to the post of Prime Minister in a short expanse of time by sending out subliminal signals influencing the people to vote for him. He has a wife, Lucy Saxon, who I found interesting considering she ends up being his undoing. When I was trying to create a villian for this particular chapter, I thought, what if the Master and Lucy had a child that no one knew about? And what if he had it out for the Doctor because of his messed up family life? So yeah, hope it flows okay.**

**Oh and by the way, Migoi is a Tibetan word for 'wild man', and is used in reference to the Yeti.**


	8. The Doctor's Weakness

The silence in the room was so thick, so full of meaning, that not even cutting it with a knife would do the trick.

"I'm sorry, but who?" Amy asked, completely lost. 'Saxon' sounded a little familiar to her, something to do with politics or whatnot, but she had been a teenager when she'd last heard it and teenagers, especially ones living in Leadworth, didn't care much for politics.

Leonard glanced over at Amy as if noticing her for the first time, his eyes sweeping her up and down in a way she didn't particularly like. "What's this, Doctor? A new companion? I've been researching your history for some time—you could say it's a bit of an obsession of mine—and I must say you go through them pretty fast. Although this one's quite a catch, I'll give you that."

"Last I checked I wasn't a fish, Mr. Saxon," Amy retorted, crossing her arms.

"And spirited too, I see." Leonard chuckled and ran a finger across her cheek.

The Doctor was at her side in a moment, shoving the man's hand away. "Leave her alone," he said darkly.

Unfortunately, Leonard's sharp eyes alighted on the ring tattoo identical to Amy's on the Doctor's finger. Almost mechanically his gaze moved to Amy's left hand, and his mind put two and two together. He looked at the Doctor incredulously. "You've got to be kidding me. Everyone I interrogated told me you were untamable; there for them when they needed you but incapable of being tied down. You're losing your touch, Doctor."

Leonard leaned in, and the Doctor shifted to block him, tightening his grip on Amy's arm. When the Master's son spoke again, his words were harsh and as sharp as two-edged swords. "What does she see in you, anyway? After all, the age difference is a bit of a stretch—eight centuries and more than a few decades. She's little more than a child compared to you; it's like robbing the cradle. Although I'm sure having a young mate is…invigorating for you, eh, Doctor?"

"It's not like that," the Doctor said gruffly, determined not to give the man any satisfaction. This meeting had stunned him, to be sure. He could see the semblance of the Master's second to last incarnation in Leonard's face, despite the hair that most definitely belonged to Lucy Saxon. He wished things could be different, but he knew that the part of the Master that lived on in his son wouldn't have any of it.

"The Doctor never told you about my father, did he, beautiful? They used to be friends once upon an era, during the glory days of the Time Lords. But things change." Leonard turned and paced the marbled floor, his disturbed thoughts making him restless. He paused at one of the windows, clasping his hands behind his back, and stared out into the blackness of space. "You see, if it wasn't for your precious Doctor here, I might still have my father."

"Leonard, you don't know what really happened all those years ago. You weren't even a year old then," the Doctor spoke up. "It was Lucy, your mother, who pulled the trigger and, later, sabotaged his return." The Doctor paused, his lips set in a thin line as he recalled a painful memory. "Granted he was attempting to take over the world—again—at the time, but he sacrificed himself when the Time Lord President tried to kill me."

"Exactly, he saved _you_. Do you know what it's like to live twenty four years of your life never having known either of your parents?"

The Doctor could very well have countered this. He was pretty sure living for centuries having lost, not only his parents, but everyone he ever cared about, was ten times worse than never knowing your family. But instead he said, "Listen, Leonard. I'm truly and honestly sorry for everything. Losing your father was hard on me as well. But living your life in depression and hatred will only hurt you. Please." He held out his hand pleadingly, welcomingly. "A truce."

Leonard's dark eyes flickered, and for a second he looked like a scared little boy who only ever wanted the love of a father. But the look was gone as soon as it had come, replaced with one of disdain. "I don't want a truce, dear Doctor. I want revenge." He began pacing again. "It took me a while to decide the best way to make you suffer. I considered enslaving the universe, or maybe destroying it, but nothing seemed quite good enough for you, the man who ruined the life I could have had."

"Well he's a cheery one. Do all your enemies have this much of a tendency to monologue, Doctor?" Amy asked in a low voice.

"Amy, shush! This isn't a good time," the Doctor told her. The last thing he wanted was to flare the unstable Leonard Saxon's temper even more, and if anyone could do it best it was Amy Pond.

"Anyway," Leonard continued as if there hadn't been an interruption, "it was a bit of a chore, and I still wasn't sure up until just a moment ago." The left corner of his lip curled, as if he knew a secret the others did not. He snapped his fingers, and two eel-like stainless steel robots sprung out of cavities in the floor. They wrapped around the Doctor's arms and legs like ropes and, when he tried to struggle against them, electrocuted him.

"Doctor!" Amy screamed, lunging forward to pull the offending creatures off of him.

"Hold up there, sweetheart," Leonard said, grabbing her by the waist and crushing her against him.

"Let go of her!" The Doctor shouted desperately, unscathed aside from the singed tips of his hair. He fought even harder against his bonds.

Leonard Saxon grinned. "Ah, it appears I have chosen correctly. The thing that you hold most dear in your heart isn't the welfare of the universe, or even your beloved Earth. It's your _wife_."

"Get your bloody hands off of me!" Amy yelled, channeling all her outrage into her fists and feet. She punched and kicked any part of him she could reach, but to no avail.

"I don't think so." Leonard pushed her hair out of her face, his fingers ghosting possessively down her neck and tracing over her collarbone. His lips brushed her cheek, and she wrenched away in protest. "I think she'll be a lot happier with me, don't you, Doctor? We're so much closer in age, and there's so much more I can give her."

"No, please! Amelia!" The Doctor implored, but the electric eels still held fast. All he could do was watch powerlessly as the love of his life was dragged away from him, kicking and screaming and cursing her captor into oblivion. Leonard just about carried her up the grand staircase at the end of the ballroom and through a set of equally elaborate wooden doors, which swung open to admit them and then slammed shut as if to prove a point.

The Master's son had been right. This truly was more terrible than a little thing like the universe exploding.

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**Cliffhanger, please don't kill me lol.**

**So apparently watching just one several-part episode with the Master in it wasn't enough. I had to look up the rest of the information on his demise on Wikipedia. I think I got it all straight; if you are a diehard Doctor Who fan I apologize for any errors.**

**Thanks for reading and please review :)  
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	9. Never Put a Doctor in a Trap

**Disclaimer: this chapter contains a fair amount of soppiness. Also, I would apologize for the length, but I know you guys don't mind too much.  
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**Reviews loved :)**

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_"You told me my fear would keep me alive but I died afraid, in pain and alone. You made me trust you, and when it mattered, you let me down**. ** I'm sorry, sir. The Angels were very keen for you to know that."  
**"**Well, then, the Angels have made their second mistake because I'm not gonna let that pass. I'm sorry you're dead, Bob, but I swear to whatever is left of you they will be sorrier."  
**"**But you're trapped, sir. And about to die."  
**"**Yeah, trapped. And you know what, speaking of traps, this trap has got a great big mistake in it. A great big whopping mistake!"  
**"**What mistake, sir?"  
**"**Oh, big, big mistake. Really huge. Didn't anyone ever tell you? There's one thing you never put in a trap. If you're smart, if you value your continued existence, if you have any plans about seeing tomorrow, there is one thing you never, ever put in a trap."  
"And what would that be, sir?"  
"Me."_

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The Doctor was angry, more so than he had ever been in his life. Having no control over the situation was frustrating enough, but being incapacitated and feeling like both of your hearts had been ripped out of you was way worse.

But what could he do? The electrics eels didn't look like they were going to release their grip anytime soon, and every second that passed was a second in which something horrible could be happening to Amy. He could feel his sonic in the pocket of his jacket, practically taunting him. Without the freedom of his hands it was useless.

The Doctor started thinking. It was the logical thing to do, because whenever he started thinking it usually always ended in a solution or an incredibly stupid thing. Or both, which was the most common. After a few seconds, however, an idea popped into his head.

The living body was practically electrical in of itself, what with the nervous system and all of those neurons transmitting impulses to and from the brain. If he could somehow harness that and utilize it against the eels…

Now, the Doctor knew this most likely classified as an 'incredibly stupid thing', but at the moment he didn't really care. If there was the slimmest chance of this succeeding, the smallest possibility that it could lead to Amy's rescue, there was no way in the universe he wouldn't try it.

Very slowly he kicked off his shoes. The eels, which were programmed to only keep him from escaping, apparently saw nothing suspicious in this and did nothing.

"Alright, you two. Time to give you a taste of your own medicine," the Doctor announced. He stretched his long legs out from the spot on the floor where he was sitting and frantically rubbed his woolly socks against the thick red carpeting of the staircase.

Before the eels had time to respond, the charge produced from the friction between his socks and the carpet traveled along his veins and out the tips of his fingers and toes, borrowing electricity that already resided in his body. The resulting shock was so powerful it fried the copper circuits within the robotic eels. They fell harmlessly to the ground, nothing more than twisted coils of metal.

"Aha! Never underestimate the power of static electricity," the Doctor said gleefully before racing up the stairs two at a time.

* * *

"Come on, Amy. You can't run forever."

"Wanna bet?"

Leonard watched the girl hungrily from the other side of the table, waiting for her to make a wrong move. As soon as they had reached his living quarters she had managed to knee him in the crotch and wriggle out of his grasp. At the moment they stood at a stalemate on either side of a circular wooden table, both strategizing on how to get what they wanted in this game of cat and mouse.

"Amy, Amy, Amy. You would be better off with me, anyway. What does the Doctor have to offer you? Why, just being with him is dangerous; he's lost so many so-called friends over the years," Leonard said, trying to imbue doubt in her.

"This is different," Amy said simply.

Leonard laughed. "Different? Do you honestly think you're _special_? Poor, disillusioned girl. Everyone who's ever traveled with the Doctor thought the same thing, but look what happened to them: left behind, forgotten, unloved…you're just another fascination to him, one of the humans he covets so bloody much, and before you know it you'll be no more than a memory. Just like them."

"That's not true," Amy said, although her voice wavered slightly.

That small lapse in faith was all Leonard needed to gain his advantage. He leapt over the table, grabbing her by the hair when she tried to run. She screamed and retaliated in any way that she could, but he was getting better at deflecting her attacks now. He locked his arms around her, so tightly that she had to gasp for air.

"There's nowhere to run now, darling," he whispered before going in for a kiss.

Unable to move, Amy used the only defense she had left, the one she had used all those times as a little girl in order to get rid of her psychiatrists. She bit him. On the nose. Hard.

Leonard swore and involuntarily released her, clasping his injured nose in pain. It didn't take long for his anger to reach its boiling point. He slammed her into the wall, his large hand closed around her small neck, cutting off her oxygen supply.

Now, the Doctor may not have been good on timing before—as he was constantly reminded by a certain bitter redhead—but for once his reputation failed him. He burst through the door so hard that the hinges tore away from the wall a little, leaving it hanging at an odd angle. Although Amy's vision was blurry, she could still see the fire raging in his livid blue eyes, the likes of which she had never witnessed before. Grabbing Leonard by his expensive ebony suit jacket, the Doctor ripped him off of Amy and wrestled him to the ground.

"Big, big mistake, Lenny boy. You could have tortured me, locked me away in a cell without anything to eat or drink for a millennia, and the worst I would have done was maroon you on some uninhabited planet. But no, your crime is far more vile and entirely unforgivable. You do not touch _my_ wife and expect to live the remainder of your worthless days."

Leonard truly did look like a scared little boy now, with the Doctor's hand in a vise-like grip around his neck. His eyes were wide in fear, and he gulped nervously.

"Mercy, I beg of you, Doctor. You're no killer; it's against your nature."

"You're right, killing's not in my nature. But the execution of justice is. I know what you were planning to do to Amy, and don't even try to pretend otherwise. You don't deserve a merciful sentence."

"Please, spare me, or we all die."

The Doctor looked at his captive quizzically, although his grip did not slacken. "What do you mean, 'we all die'?" He asked. The wheels began turning in his head, and something clicked. "Hold on. Down in the ballroom, you said you weren't entirely sure what you were going to do to me until a certain moment. Which means you had something else planned as a backup."

"At last, the Doctor in the TARDIS has figured it out." Leonard smiled, albeit wanly. "You're right; I did have another plan. There are explosives placed all over the ship, inside and out, all connected to a master control that only I can operate."

"So the ship's a bomb."

"In a manner of speaking, yes. We have a mere eight minutes before its set to detonate."

The Doctor was at a loss for words. He looked over at Amy, who was slumped against the wall, staring at him in shock. There were bruises around her neck and one forming along her cheekbone. He set his jaw at the sight of these, wanting for all the world to avenge the damage that had been done to her. But he knew that, if he did, they would all perish. Reluctantly, the Doctor released his hold on Leonard Saxon and backed away from him.

Leonard scrambled to his feet up and brushed himself off, falling back to a good distance away from the Doctor.

"Well get a move on," the Doctor urged.

Leonard grinned. "You are almost too easy, Doctor. Do you really think I would decommission my bomb when you just handed me such a golden opportunity to destroy you?"

"But you'll die too. Forgive me if I'm wrong but you weren't so keen on the idea just a second ago."

"Oh, did I forget to mention that I'm also the only one with access to the escape pods?" There was a look of triumph on Leonard's face as he reached for the handle of a door on the other side of the room. "Farewell, dear Doctor." And with that he was gone, sprinting down the hallway beyond the door.

"Doctor, he's getting away!" Amy shouted, using the support of the wall to pull herself up.

"It doesn't matter."

"What are you talking about? If he gets away, he'll just come back to haunt us later. He manipulated the TARDIS once, he can do it again."

The Doctor turned to Amy, concern for her in his eyes. "If that happens, I'll deal with it. Right now, all I care about is getting you safely off this ship before the countdown on the bomb runs out. And we only have seven minutes now."

"But Doctor—"

"No buts." He threaded his fingers through hers, realizing how well they fit together for the first time. "Just run."

And so Amy did. They barreled down the hall and flew down the stairs, slowing down for only a moment to evade the vanquished electric eels.

"What on earth did you do to 'em?" Amy asked in surprise.

"Not much, just took a page out of their book, no time to explain," the Doctor responded, pulling her onward. They clambered down the rickety metal staircases, descending through the corridors into the very bowels of the ship, until the TARDIS loomed ahead of them. Its blue, outdated appearance spurred them on. The Doctor snapped his fingers, and the doors swung open to allow them entrance.

Once inside, the Doctor booked it to the console and pulled and pushed just about every lever and button he could reach. The TARDIS began to shake, dematerializing just as the ship began to explode around it.

"Doctor," Amy said, glancing at her watch, "You said we only had seven minutes not too long ago. But it's only been five."

"Yes, so it has," the Doctor replied, taking note of the hands on his own timepiece.

"Does that mean the bomb went off prematurely?"

"Technically, yes."

The time machine had ceased its shaking and was now floating safely about a mile from Leonard Saxon's ship. The Doctor turned a dial, and an image appeared on the screen, showing a vast expanse of space and an exploding ball of fire right in the center of it.

"So that's Saxon's ship, yeah?"

"Correct. And notice what's surrounding it."

Amy squinted, focusing on the area around the explosion. "Meteors, looks like."

"Astroids, to be precise. Or rather, an asteroid field. Explosives on the outside of a vessel don't usually stay dormant when hit by one of those beauties."

"So it's possible that…"

"Saxon didn't escape? Highly likely, actually. After all, we barely made it to the TARDIS."

Amy was silent for a moment as she processed this. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

The Doctor looked at her, somewhat puzzled. "Why are you sorry? That unfortunate excuse for a living being nearly killed you!"

"True. But he was the last thing you had of your old friend, and, in a way, of the Time Lords. I'm sorry you lost what could have been."

"Oh Amy," the Doctor sighed. He enveloped her in a comforting hug and brushed his lips against her forehead. "You are much wiser than your years give you credit for."

"Still not a Time Lord, though," Amy said, only the slightest traces of humor in her voice.

"No, thankfully. Amelia Pond, you are far better than any Gallifreyan I've ever met." The Doctor murmured with a smile.

Their eyes locked for a moment, calm blue on wild green, and slowly, almost as if he wasn't sure if he should be doing this, the Doctor leaned down and pressed his lips to Amy's. At first she was surprised, but it didn't take long for her to respond with eagerness. One of his hands wound through her ginger hair, gently cupping the base of her head to deepen the kiss, and the other one pulling her against him. They stumbled back against the TARDIS console, accidentally disrupting some of the controls, which they hoped weren't too terribly important.

"You know what I was thinking?" The Doctor said softly, hating to break away even for a few seconds.

"Oh Doctor, no one could possibly ever figure out what you goes on in that brilliant mind of yours, and right now I'd rather you just shut up," Amy said breathlessly, capturing his lips again. She could feel them smiling against hers.

"I was thinking we never had a proper wedding night."

"Seriously?"

The Doctor kissed her hard, almost desperately, in response. She giggled as he picked her up and carried her bridal style to the only room in the TARDIS she had not yet seen.


	10. Alongside the Siene

Amy didn't want to open her eyes. She was dead tired, as if she hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, and her legs felt heavy. It was also a mystery to her why she was so warm, as if she had fallen asleep cuddling a space heater. It wasn't until she realized that her bed seemed to be breathing that she decided it was high time to crack an eyelid.

In an instant, all memory came flooding back, and she smiled. She was lying on the Doctor's chest, her curves molding perfectly with every plane of his body. The reason for the heaviness in her legs was due to his currently pinning them to the bed. He had one arm around her shoulders and the other on her back, clutching her tightly as if he had dreamed Leonard Saxon was trying to steal her away again. Amy looked around her, absentmindedly playing with a button on his open shirt.

The Doctor's room wasn't so much a room as it was a study. Books spilled from built-in shelves covering the walls, all of them dust-free and clearly used to being read several times over. There was a desk, finished in dark mahogany and so cluttered with books, maps, charting tools, paperweights, and the odd plastic spork that one might never know there was a desk there in the first place. The wood floor was in similar condition, its decorative blue rug hidden by books that either didn't fit or had escaped from the shelves, and an old pair of Converse could be seen just poking out from under the desk next to a bowl of water that held an inexplicably glowing blue fish.

Amy reached up to push the Doctor's mop of scruffy hair out of his face, still unable to believe that this insane man, this Raggedy Doctor she'd dreamed of ever since they first met all those years ago, was hers forever. She decided right then and there to thank the Dulcians for having wedding ceremonies disguised as dances and then conveniently neglecting to inform their guests of the true meaning. An unexplainable laugh bubbled up inside her and made its way out before she could stop it.

The Doctor stirred, stretching his lanky limbs, and looked down at his wife.

"Morning, Pond. Or whatever time of day it is," he said with an affectionate smile.

"Doctor, do you _ever_ straighten up your room?" Amy asked suddenly.

"Of course, regularly. Once every century," the Doctor responded, kissing her on the forehead. "You didn't seem all that concerned about it last night."

"Yes, but you have to admit, that glowing fish is slightly disturbing."

"What, Barnaby? Oh, he's alright. Ate a bit of radioactive fish flake a while back, poor chap, but he doesn't seem to mind. Although I suppose I should be more careful when purchasing fish food from now on."

"Doctor, you are incorrigible."

"Guilty as charged." The Doctor's lips were wandering, leaving burning trails on Amy's skin and making her forget about the unfortunate Barnaby. They were interrupted, however, by the rumbling of the ginger's stomach.

The Doctor slapped a hand to his forehead. "Blimey, I nearly forgot! When was the last time you ate, back in Tibet? Although I'm not sure yak tongue could quite be considered a full meal."

Amy went white. "What do you mean, 'yak tongue'? You told me that was a stir-fry!"

The Doctor cleared his throat nervously. "Yes, well, technically it was. So, how about I take you somewhere a little more—tame—for breakfast? There's a quaint little café in nineteenth century France that would do nicely. Only French restaurant I haven't been banned from in that particular century. Honestly, make one little comment on how you've tasted better caviar in good old Britain and suddenly you're a public menace. Well, there was that small misunderstanding involving one of the chef's mustaches...but I swear it looked fake, I just wanted to try it on for a second or two—"

Amy placed one slim finger on the Doctor's mouth, momentarily silencing him. "Just so you know, I shall be getting my revenge for that yak tongue business in the near future. But yes, a French café does sound lovely."

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An hour later, the Doctor and Amy were fully dressed and sitting on a café terrace overlooking the Seine. It was a gorgeous day, the blue sky filled with lazy, cotton-fluff white clouds and the river adrift with Saturday morning boaters. Men and women promenaded over the bridges straddling the river, the women in voluminous dresses with parasols in their dainty, lace-gloved hands and the men in dapper suits and hats that they tipped politely when passing.

The waiter didn't speak one ounce of English, and after Amy's failed attempts to communicate with her limited knowledge of French—'une hot dog' apparently didn't fly in this century—the Doctor ended up ordering for the both of them.

"Doctor, are you going to do that throughout the entire meal?" Amy asked, pausing for a moment before assaulting her third croissant.

"Do what?"

"Stare at me like a lovesick puppy."

"Hey, we're in Paris. I should be allowed to stare at you like a lovesick puppy," the Doctor countered, momentarily shaken out of his reverie. His own plate, which held a strange combination of eggs, toast, and broiled salmon, sat mostly untouched in front of him.

"Not when I'm eating. I've been stuffing my face like a chipmunk for the past few minutes."

"A very cute chipmunk."

"You're just saying that."

"No, really." The Doctor grinned in the way that made his eyes crinkle, his fingers dancing over her hand under the table.

Amy smiled. "So, what's up with the salmon? Not exactly something that could be considered breakfast food, eh?"

"Well, apparently fish fingers haven't been invented yet, so I had to make do."

"Fish fingers? Honestly?"

"I know! How anyone could survive through a meal without them is beyond me."

"You forgot about the custard."

"Blast, knew there was something missing." The Doctor frowned at his food. "I think we should be able to find a pastry shop with a good custard selection, don't you? Once we're finished eating, of course. And after I figure out how to pay the bill because, truthfully, I never can remember what currency they use whenever I visit a place. Too hard to keep up with."

Apparently, however, perfect diamonds were acceptable currency no matter the time or place, for the wide-eyed waiter who took the gems from the Doctor told them to have a very wonderful day.

"Nice bloke," the Doctor commented, snaking his arm around Amy's middle as they strolled along the banks of the Seine.

"I suppose anyone would be if you just paid them twenty times what you owed," Amy remarked.

"Yeah, you might have a point there. But it was worth it." The Doctor bent down to steal a kiss, but Amy had other plans. She quickly darted out of his reach, a roguish smirk on her face.

"Oh, oh I see. This is the payback for the yak tongue, isn't it?"

"Partly. There's also this." In a flash, Amy had nicked his bowtie and was halfway down the street with it, laughing like a maniac.

"Amelia! You get back here right now with that!" The Doctor shouted, taking off after her.

Amy wasn't about to give up so easily. She led him through the streets of Paris, ignoring the perplexed stares of the locals she passed. But once again her human lack of endurance won out, and the Doctor caught her on a quiet cobbled street lined with little shops. He trapped her against the side of a brick building that was creeping with ivy and kissed her, the bowtie lying forgotten at their feet. It wasn't until some nineteenth century street urchin whistled at them that they broke apart.

"You are stark raving mad, you know that?" The Doctor said warmly, resting his forehead against Amy's.

"But that's why you love me, right? And besides, look around you."

The Doctor did. This particular street seemed to be devoted to bread and pastry making, and the smell of delicious baked goods wafted out of the shop doors. "Ah yes. Brilliant, Amy," he told her, planting a quick peck on the tip of her nose. "Let's go have a look. Remember, we shall not be swayed by anything less than custard. We are on a mission here."

"You and your quirks," Amy said with a shake of her head, although she followed him anyway, bowtie in hand.

They started down the street, peering into shop windows in search of the prized custard. As they passed one supposedly unassuming storefront, the Doctor threw out his arm to stop Amy from walking past.

"What?" Amy asked, confused as to what had distracted him from his so-named 'mission'.

"What do you see, Pond?" The Doctor asked, indicating the shop window before them.

"Nothing. Just an empty shop. Looks like it's been closed for years," Amy replied.

"Fascinating."

"You act like you see something different."

"That's because I do," the Doctor said mysteriously. "There's something not at all right here, something very wrong indeed, and I intend to find out what it is."

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**Goodness, when I started this story I never realized how fun it would be to write. Not sure how long this is going to be, I'm guessing whenever random ideas stop popping into my head, which isn't anytime soon lol :)**

**Reviews most definitely welcome, by the way.  
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	11. The Soricomorphans

**Sorry it took me so long to update. I had to decide exactly what I wanted the old shop to be lol. Enjoy, please review :)**

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"So how is it that all I see is an abandoned shop and you see…whatever it is that you see?" Amy asked, squinting at the window.

"Think about it, Amy. How come you never saw that extra door in your house?" The Doctor answered.

"So a perception filter, yeah?" Amy considered this. "But if there is one, you should be seeing the same thing as me."

"Depends on whose perception they want to filter." The Doctor observed the Parisians walking leisurely past. "All these people, many of them window shopping, and yet they don't pay this particular store one ounce of attention. Not even a curious glance to see what it used to be or if another shop will be opening in its place."

"And they're all human, like me. Which means the perception filter is only supposed to hide it from humans. Not Time Lords."

"Makes you wonder why it's so selective."

"Alright then, what do you see?"

"Well it's a building, but there's no window; just a cement wall. And the door is…over there. Off to the side and up a bit of stairs."

Amy stared at the weather-beaten red door right in front of her face, which looked so real and substantial to her, and then at the Doctor. It made more sense to say he had gone crazy, which was always a good possibility. "I don't see anything."

"Well of course you don't. Now come on." The Doctor offered her his arm, but she hesitated to take it. "It's all right. I'll make sure you don't fall."

"You better be right about this." Amy didn't enjoy the idea of climbing an invisible set of stairs, but she trusted the Doctor enough to do it despite her misgivings.

It was odd, bringing her foot down on nothingness and feeling a hard surface anyway. She tripped a little on the second stair, but the Doctor caught her. Together they climbed into the air, stopping at one point so that the Doctor could reach out and open an equally unseen door. A gap opened in the wall, and beyond it the dim lighting made it near impossible to see.

"Ah, another corridor with bad lighting. What fun," the Doctor said, sounding truly excited as he plunged into the shadows.

Amy sighed, wondering exactly what had she done to deserve an alien for a husband who had a tendency for getting into trouble. Not that she'd like her life any other way, of course. For him and all the wonders in the universe, she could handle little things like invisible stairs and creepy lighting. And whatever was inevitably waiting for them at the end of it all.

The hallway wasn't long; merely a rectangular foyer with sagging wallpaper and a threadbare carpet. There was a door fitted with warped glass at the end of it, similar to one in an office.

"There's something written on the door," Amy announced, pointing at the peeling gold letters. Whatever it said, however, was a mystery to her. "Looks like a different language."

"That's because it is."

"So you can read it?"

"Regrettably, no. This tongue is ancient, even older than Gallifreyan, which really is saying something."

"I suppose we're going to march right in there without knocking, aren't we?"

"You know me too well."

"Yeah, and it's starting to scare me."

The Doctor smiled, pecked her on the cheek, and opened the door.

Amy felt her jaw drop. "Oh. My. Gosh."

"Well said."

"Doctor, explain."

The Doctor scratched the back of his head, still astonished but mostly mesmerized by the sight before him. Instead of the interior of a decrepit, human-built structure, they had somehow ended up outside. But it wasn't the kind of outdoors one might find in old France; the door opened out onto a cliff face, which cut away a few feet in front of them to plummet down into a boiling river. There was a steel bridge that spanned the chasm, leading to a sort of iron-walled fortress on the opposite side. The terrain around the fortress was like a wasteland; nothing but gray crags for miles, and the sky that the towers of the fortress brushed against was tinged dusky orange.

"It appears this door is actually a portal; a link betwixt nineteenth century Earth and an alien world. They're quite rare but not unheard of."

"Who lives here, then? What could have possibly built that thing?"

"Don't know. But I'm sure we'll find out inside."

"You just want to waltz right in? What if they're hostile?"

"Well they haven't attacked us yet."

"'Yet' being the operative word."

"Oh come on, Amy. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"I'm starting to wonder if I have any sense at all." Amy shook her head. "Alright. Into the big, scary, and possibly life-threatening alien fortress we go."

"Atta girl."

Crossing the bridge was the easy part, as long as you ignored the odd behavior of the water far below it. It bubbled and hissed as if there was an underwater volcano or two concealed beneath the surface, which, Amy figured, was probably the case. But once they got to the colossal door of the fortress, which was nothing more than an imposing steel slab, they ran into their first problem.

"Will you look at that, Doctor. No handle or doorknob to be seen. Guess we can't barge in after all," Amy said triumphantly.

"Apparently not. But there's always knocking. Although I must admit I've never really been a fan of it." The Doctor raised his fist to the cold face of the door and rapped on it soundly, his knuckles making an echoing noise on the metal.

At first nothing happened. But then, after a minute or so, a small square in the door slid away, revealing a window-like peephole. Peering through it was a beady black eye. It shifted from the Doctor to Amy and then disappeared, the window slamming shut.

"Guess he's not in a very talkative mood today," Amy surmised, shrugging.

"Wait for it," the Doctor replied.

Almost as if in answer, the sound of many padlocks unlocking and deadbolts sliding out of their cylinders erupted, and the door opened. Standing there in its place was a puzzling creature. It looked very much like a garden mole, complete with the beady eyes, long gray snout, funny pink nose, and claws. But it also stood as tall as the Doctor and had a humanoid body, and it was dressed in iron-plated armor and steel-toed boots.

"Hello there, I'm the Doctor. And you are?" the Doctor said in his usual chirpy voice, evidently not seeing anything wrong with an overgrown mole suddenly showing up in front of him.

"Doctor, it's a mole person," Amy whispered blatantly.

"Shh, Amelia. Don't be rude," the Doctor told her.

The mole person didn't seem all that eager to share his identity. "State your business," he said in a gruff voice.

"Oh you know, just out for a leisurely stroll around Paris, came across a portal disguised by a perception filter and couldn't resist checking it out," the Doctor answered.

The mole creature grunted. His eyes settled on Amy once more, appraising her.

"How much for the girl?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I said, how much for the girl? She'd be worth a fair amount on the market. Females are very much in demand."

"The market?"

"Yes, the Soricomorphan slave market. Now are you going to sell her or not?"

"Certainly not! That's my wife you're talking about," the Doctor said, finally understanding. He reached out and pulled Amy closer to him, just in case the mole person didn't feel like taking no for an answer.

The alien looked confused. "But she is human; I can smell it plain as day. Humans are useful for nothing besides working in the mines. How can she be your mate?"

"Long story, quite interesting, although I seriously doubt you'd care to hear it. Listen, Mister…whoever you are…it seems we've had a misunderstanding. I'm a jeweler back on my own planet, quite a successful one mind you, and I was told that the best stones could be found here in your fine city," the Doctor invented quickly.

The Soricomorphan looked skeptical at first, but a moment later he moved aside. "You may go about your business. But if you change your mind about the human…"

"I won't, but thank you," the Doctor responded, breezing past the creature.

"Keep her close, then. An unclaimed human wandering the streets of Dymecodon would be a prize find for any Soricomorphan," the large mole called after him, the hint of longing in his voice an indication that he didn't mind the idea himself.

"Doctor, would you like to tell me what just happened?" Amy hissed as the Time Lord practically pulled her along with him.

"I wasn't aware humans had that short of a memory span, but if you really want a recount…"

"You know what I mean. These mole things are enslaving people! What better reason is there to turn around and run in the opposite direction? We are pretty good at that."

"I can't leave now, Amy. That Soricomorphan doorkeeper said that your lot is being forced to work in their mines. Which means that portal was created for the sole purpose of abducting them from Earth. I have to stop it somehow."

Amy looked around her. The fortress was bustling with Soricomorphans going about their daily routine, along with a few other assorted alien races. Humans were scarcer, but whenever one was spotted, it was a sad sight to behold. One in particular, a young boy of about eight with sandy brown hair and freckles, was shoved in front of them by a Soricomorphan Amy assumed was his owner. The boy's skin and clothes were caked with dirt, and cuts crisscrossed his arms. He glanced up briefly at Amy, and the hollowness in his wide hazel eyes tugged at her heart.

"What do we do?" She asked, making up her mind.

* * *

**By the way, I derived the name for the mole people from Soricomorpha, which is the order moles are in. Also, Dymecodon is the genus name for a Japanese shrew mole.**


	12. Beetroot

Everything in the city was cold and without expression. The buildings were constructed of either cinderblocks or bolted steel, and there was not one green thing growing anywhere within the walls. The tallest building in the fortress was a corrugated steel skyscraper, rising into a shining point to pierce the sky. More armored mole creatures stood sentry by the entrances of it, which, much like the front gate, were not visible until they slid aside.

"These Soricomorphans really are marvelous architects. A bit lacking in imagination, but still," the Doctor remarked.

"If you're very into the plain and the boring, then yeah," Amy said, casting a disapproving eye on the grayness all around her.

"What I want to know is what's so important about that skyscraper? It's more heavily guarded than the entry to the city. What could they possibly be guarding?" The Doctor mused.

"Maybe its where their king or prime minister or whatever rules them lives," Amy guessed.

"Perhaps. We're going to need to get inside to know for sure."

"And how do you expect to do that? There's got to be at least a dozen guards."

"Don't know. The ideas buzzing around my brain haven't settled down and turned into something yet. But one thing's for certain; we're not getting in today." The Doctor pointed up at the sky. The orange was deepening, presumably waning into night.

"Right then, Doctor. First bed and breakfast I see, I'll let you know," Amy said sarcastically. None of the buildings looked remotely welcoming; she had a feeling the Soricomorphans weren't very fond of tourists.

"Excuse me, are you really the Doctor? And I don't mean just any doctor."

The Doctor and Amy turned towards the source of the voice, which was hidden in the shadows of an alleyway. They could just make out a snout and a glinting eye, which peered at them hopefully from behind wire-rimmed spectacles.

"You know me?" The Doctor asked, surprised. As far as he was concerned he had never visited this particular planet in all his nine hundred and seven years.

"I know of you." the creature nodded. "I mean you no harm. Come, and I will tell you everything. You can stay at my place tonight as well. The streets of Dymecodon aren't safe at night."

The Doctor made as if to accept his offer, but Amy held him back. "What, you're just going to follow some oversized mole just because he asks you to? He could be bluffing."

"Do you have a better idea? This could be our chance to save the humans. Wasn't that what you wanted?"

Amy glanced at the Soricomorphan. Truthfully he didn't look all that threatening. By human standards he faintly resembled a grandfatherly character, considering the silver hair in his fur and the white whiskers around his snout. His little eyes were gentle, devoid of the insensitivity the gate guard's possessed.

"I promise you, good lady, I am nothing like the rest of my race," the stranger assured.

"If he tries to buy me, I blame you," Amy told the Doctor under her breath before squaring her shoulders and following the Soricomorphan into the dark alley.

The alien's abode was small, accessed by the first wood door either of them had seen that day, and consisted of a downstairs and an enclosed loft. The interior had a tunnel-like feel, the walls having been hewn from rough rock. There was a hearth, which currently held a fire that burned white at the center, and a stone slab of a table that sat directly on the floor in front of it. Overstuffed pillows surrounding it served as chairs. All manner of odds and ends hung from the ceiling, from cooking pots to dried roots and herbs tied into bunches.

"Nice place," Amy said in an effort to be civil.

"Thank you, good lady," the Soricomorphan said with a slight dip of his head.

"Oh, the name's Amy. Amy Pond."

"And I am Beetroot. Not much of a name, but it was my father's and I will not dishonor it."

"I was just wondering, erm...Beetroot—why do you keep referring to me as 'good lady'? I'm sure you know I'm human."

"Human or Soricomorphan, females should be shown respect. They are mothers of future generations, after all," Beetroot said simply.

Amy blushed slightly at this, finding it hard to see herself as a future mother. She hoped the Doctor hadn't noticed.

"You see, Soricomorphans weren't always so cruel. Fifty years ago, a new High Councilor was elected. He had been a well-decorated military general previously, and did not share the gentler views of our forefathers. He preferred Soricomorpha as a warlike, militant planet." The elderly creature bowed his head remorsefully. "My family tried to keep the old ways alive, but I fear we were the only ones. I am the last of what once was."

"The very last," the Doctor murmured, lost in his own contemplations.

Beetroot busied himself with setting the table. Supper that night was to be in the form of oddly-shaped and colored vegetables, steamed and seasoned so that they almost smelled appetizing. There was bread too, although it looked suspiciously French, and Amy guessed that he had sneaked it from the pastry shops that surrounded the portal. An herbal tea steeped in an earthenware pot, which was kept warm by what looked like a bad attempt at a handmade tea cozy.

Amy didn't care what the food looked like, and secretly hoped her digestive system would accept it. She hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, and her stomach was letting her know it. She plopped down on one of the pillows and began shoveling liberal helpings of everything on the earthenware plate Beetroot had put out for her.

"So tell me, Beetroot, how is it you've heard of me?" The Doctor asked.

"One of my neighbors owned a human slave girl once who used to visit for tea whenever she could get away. We were quite good friends, actually, before she was sold. But before then she confided in me that a certain relative of hers, a man by the name of Charles Dickens, used to tell her stories of how the Earth was nearly taken over by a race known as the Gelth. And it would have happened, too, if it were not for the intervention of someone he called the Doctor."

"Ah yes, good old Charlie," the Doctor said, a reminiscent gleam in his eye. "Always one for storytelling."

"You met Charles Dickens?" Amy said, clearly impressed.

"It's one of the perks of being a time traveler," the Doctor said dismissively.

"In my younger years I tried to get my brethren to see the error in their ways, but nothing worked. They are beyond reasoning with now." Beetroot poured tea into small cups and passed them around. "You are a good man, Doctor. I can smell it. If you know of a way to end the suffering of the humans, I'd be much obliged to you."

The Doctor was silent for a moment, thinking. "That skyscraper in the square. What is it?" He asked.

"That is the High Councilor's residence. It's also where the portal manipulator is kept; the device that keeps your world and ours connected."

"Bingo!" The Doctor looked pleased. "Now tell me, is there any way of getting inside?"

"They say it's near impossible. Every entrance is protected by the High Councilor's Guard. The only way in is to be invited, and even then few rarely come back out again."

"Doesn't sound too hard. We shall just have to figure out how to secure an invitation from this High Councilor person."

"Doctor, perhaps you didn't hear that last bit? The 'few rarely come back out' thing?" Amy said in trepidation.

"Details," the Doctor replied as if it was no big deal. "I'm going to have to come up with a plan. I do love planning things."

Amy didn't bother to argue with him. There was no turning back now, once they had both made a decision.

* * *

That night, the couple lay in the loft bed that Beetroot had temporarily given up for them, thinking about the morning. Like the table downstairs, the mattress was set on the floor, although it was unusually comfortable. Amy had her head nestled in the crook of the Doctor's arm, facing away from him, and his other arm was draped over her body. She could feel his breath hot on her neck as he brushed his lips against the skin just behind her ear.

"It's crazy, isn't it? How we always go somewhere with the intent of doing something perfectly normal and usually end up fighting for our lives instead," Amy said, watching the flickering shadows on the far wall that were cast by the last dying flames of the fire.

"That's what you get for hanging around a madman with a box, Amelia Pond," the Doctor answered with a trace of humor in his muffled voice as he moved on to her earlobe.

Amy flipped over so that her head was next to his on the pillow, their noses nearly touching. "Does it ever frighten you, the near-death experiences?"

The Doctor smiled weakly, his fingers combing the hair out of her face. "Sometimes, for less than a second. Then the adrenaline kicks in and I sort of forget. I'm usually more worried about something happening to the people I travel with. You humans don't get a second chance at life like I do. So fragile, so…temporary. So lucky."

"Funny, doesn't feel lucky most of the time."

"Wait until you live nine hundred years and then I think you'll understand."

"As long as I'm with you, I won't mind."

The Doctor smiled again and kissed her forehead. "Good night, dear Amy."

Although Amy protested that she wasn't tired, she eventually drifted off, her cheek resting on his chest, as he traced patterns on her scalp. He himself didn't sleep, for he had quite a lot to think about. Tomorrow was a big day.

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**Note: the part with the Doctor visiting Charles Dickens and the Gelth was taken from an old 2005 episode called the Unquiet Dead. I had to find a way for Beetroot to know about the Doctor and, considering they visited the 1800s in that episode, it seemed like the easiest way.  
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**Hope you liked it, Please review. Reviews keep this story alive and kicking :)  
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	13. Sir Protector

**So I was writing this in Microsoft Office Word (I always write it there first before putting it here) when I realized I've written 35 pages so far. 35 pages? On a subject I just felt like trying out? How does that happen? Especially when I can't seem to finish a regular novel lol.**

**Anyway, hope you like this ridiculously long chapter. Please review :)**

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The morning was announced by an orange light flooding through the tiny window in the loft. The Doctor tried to extricate himself from underneath Amy, but the slight disturbance woke her up.

"You trying to sneak off or something?" Amy asked jokingly, straightening his collar.

"I didn't want to disturb you," the Doctor said, kissing her tenderly.

"Nice try, but that's not going to work on me. Don't think you can just run off and bring down Soricomorpha's government without me."

"Oh Amy." The Doctor stroked her cheek, reveling in the way the tangerine sunrise made her pale skin glow. "You'd be so much safer here, in this house, than out there amongst the Soricomorphans. You know how they treat humans. I can't lose you."

"Listen here, alien boy. I've been through way too much with you already to let you go out there and risk your neck alone while I stay here and play house."

"I won't be alone. Beetroot's coming."

"Okay, so you and a humongous old rodent. Yeah, still not feeling any better about it."

"Amelia—"

"Don't 'Amelia' me. I'm coming and that's final."

The Doctor sighed in frustration. He still had no idea how he had fallen in love with such a stubborn, impossibly headstrong girl.

"Alright, but no more taking what I tell you and turning it entirely around. If I say 'stop', you stop. If I say 'go back to the TARDIS', you go."

"And if you say, 'run from that ridiculously large and rabid Soricomorphan', I run. I've got it, Doctor."

"Um, just so you two know, in addition to sensitive smell, Soricomorphans have exceptional hearing to make up for their weaker eyesight," a voice from downstairs called suddenly.

"Oops," Amy said, blushing, very conscious of the fact that she had just called Beetroot a humongous old rodent.

The pair decided right then was probably the best time to get up. They were greeted downstairs by a breakfast similar to what they had had for supper, except that it had been thrown together into a creamy stew.

"Hope you don't mind eating the same thing again. Have to be frugal during these hard times," Beetroot apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Amy told him, having enjoyed what they ate the evening before.

Over the stew, they discussed exactly how they were going to go about getting inside the skyscraper.

"This High Councilor of yours. What does he covet the most?" The Doctor asked.

"Wealth, power, you name it. He's a greedy one," Beetroot replied.

"So we make him think we're bringing some kind of tribute to him. But what? We don't have riches or military might to offer him," the Doctor remarked.

"There is…one other thing," Beetroot said slowly.

"What?" The Doctor questioned.

Beetroot cleared his throat, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Thornclaw—that's the High Councilor's given name—has a partiality towards female slaves. He likes to…collect them, you could say."

"Well that's just disgusting," Amy announced. But then, as if a light bulb had just come on over her head, she perked up. "Hey…"

"No! I know what you're thinking, Amy, and I won't allow it," the Doctor said sharply, getting to his feet.

"Oh come on. It would get us inside," Amy shot back.

"I don't care, I'm not going to do that to you. Have you forgotten about Leonard Saxon? No, we'll figure out something else," the Doctor said.

"You should heed your husband's words, miss. My people are not known to be merciful."

"You don't really have another option. And besides, wouldn't I be safer if I was supposedly being delivered to this Thornclaw guy? I bet the others wouldn't dare touch me if you told them that."

"She does have a bit of a point. It wouldn't be the first time someone took a human without asking," Beetroot spoke up.

The Doctor looked like an internal battle was taking place inside of him. He hated decisions like this. "I know I'm going to regret this, but fine. We'll try it."

* * *

The Doctor, Amy, and Beetroot approached the base of the skyscraper, trying not to think about how many holes their plan had in it. They walked as if they were supposed to be there, with Beetroot leading the way. The Doctor was behind him with his grip firm on Amy's arm, trying to make it look as if he was dragging her along against her will. She was the better actor, however: the defiant look on her face nearly had even her supposed captors convinced.

"State your business."

The guards at the entrance of the skyscraper were even less friendly than the one at the gate to the city. They addressed Beetroot, their voices harsh and without emotion.

"My business associate and I come bearing a gift for the High Councilor, and to discuss with him some possible slave trafficking opportunities with Earth," Beetroot announced in the steadiest voice he could muster. It had been the Doctor's idea to include the bit about trafficking, after he realized they might decide to take Amy from them at the entrance and send them on their way. According to Beetroot, the Soricomorphan leader was very interested in expanding the slave market and might jump at the chance of an increase in human importation.

The guard who had addressed them seemed to be aware of this. He sniffed the air around the Doctor as a precaution.

"You are not human," the guard noted.

"Quite right. I too come from a race of higher significance than the residents of Earth," the Doctor said, successfully masking the disbelief he had in his own words. He was not proud of what the majority of his people had become in their last days; elevating the Time Lords by wiping out the rest of the universe had been a bad idea from the off. "This girl here is one of many I can offer him," he continued.

The guard studied Amy. At last he made his decision. "Follow me," he ordered, marching into through the now-open archway of the massive structure.

The interior was a far cry from the state the rest of the city was in. The floor and walls were ebony marble, glinting with the shards of a thousand precious gems. White flames danced in glass sconces, casting the hall in an eerie glow. The floors were covered in the pelts of what looked like rare animals, and it was obvious where whatever wealth once belonging to the Soricomorphans had gone.

Amy focused on the billowing, blood-red cloak of the guard in front of her, reminding herself why they were doing this so that she wouldn't get nervous. There was so much that depended on chance, so many things that could go wrong. She looked at the Doctor to see if he was feeling the same things she was, but his face was a cool mask, his eyes guarded. She wondered how many times he had done something like this in the past.

The guard led them up a winding staircase, also of black marble, that spiraled through every level in the skyscraper. They didn't stop climbing until they reached the very top, right under the jutting point of the structure. The room they entered was awe-inspiring; it was like being inside a cave, with a million amethyst crystals jutting out of the curved ceiling. Glass columns flanked a faceted crystal throne, which reflected the white flames that served as lighting most spectacularly. At the highest point of the chamber, a shining white orb spun as if on an axis, channeling its light into a beam that shot straight up through the point and into the heavens.

The guard motioned for them to wait, and then approached the throne alone, where he dropped to one knee. "My lord, there is a man here to see you. A slave dealer from planet Earth."

The occupant of throne lifted his head. He was quite old, with a jagged scar cutting through the graying fur of his cheek. His eyes were as cold as the black marble around him, his iron-like, ringed claws tapping the glass arms of his chair in tempo as he surveyed his visitors. There was a black crystal circlet on his brow and a deep violet mantle around his shoulders, leaving no doubt in either Time Lord or human's mind that this was the High Councilor Beetroot had spoken of.

"Very well. Leave us," Thornclaw's gravelly voice said. The guard bowed obediently and exited the way he had come, leaving Beetroot, the Doctor, and Amy alone with the High Councilor. The creature's eyes moved to Amy, and the corner of his lips curled. "So. This is the slave I was told about. Comely thing, isn't she?"

"Well you can stop looking because you're not getting her," the Doctor snapped.

Thornclaw glanced at the Time Lord in surprise, his grin fading. "I'm sorry?"

"Listen, Thornclaw. Can I call you that? 'My lord' is a little too…stuffy, I think. Anyway, I'm the Doctor. You probably haven't heard of me, but I know you can smell something different about me. For centuries, I've taken it upon myself to protect the Earth and her residents. Don't really know why; call it a hobby. Anyway, I've seen what you've done to the humans, these people you refer to as 'slaves', and I am not happy."

Thornclaw surveyed the Doctor, assessing him from a military point of view. He knew how easy it would be to call his Guard to him, but this man, one Soricomorphan, and a seemingly harmless young woman hardly seemed a threat to him. In fact, it was somewhat entertaining.

"Alright, 'Protector of the Earth'. Where's your army? Your invasion squad, at least?" The leader chortled derisively. "Nay, you have nothing to fight me with, not even a sword."

"Well if you think about it, swords are really quite messy, I mean, who wants to deal with the cleanup? Best to avoid violence altogether, in my opinion. And besides, I have something a lot better than a sword." The Doctor fished his sonic screwdriver out of his jacket pocket held it aloft.

The High Councilor looked at the device with amusement. "What is that, a youngling's plaything? Don't mock me, Sir Protector."

"Don't tell me you are unaware of the effects of a sonic pulse on a portal manipulator," the Doctor responded, giving a slight nod to the floating orb.

"That toy of yours is not nearly strong enough to create a pulse of that magnitude," Thornclaw surmised confidently.

Now it was the Doctor's turn to smile. "Not on its own, no. But you seemed to have forgotten that your pretty throne room is made up of mostly crystal." Without waiting for a response, he raised the sonic into the air. The device whirred to life and emitted a single sonic beam, which hit one crystal and created a prism effect, the beams multiplying tenfold as the crystals refracted them towards the manipulator. The skyscraper began to shake as the orb became unstable.

"You fool!" Thornclaw shouted angrily, terror evident in his voice. "Guards! Guards, seize this infidel!"

"Leave them to me!" Beetroot announced to his friends. With the agility of a much younger mole person, he grabbed a decorative jousting lance off the wall and charged at the approaching guards. He took them down like bowling pins, allowing the Doctor and Amy to make their escape.

"Remember, we don't have time to waste. Now that the manipulator is has been disabled, we have, oh—" the Doctor glanced at his watch "—fifteen minutes to get as many humans out as we can before the portal shuts down entirely."

"But Doctor, how are we supposed to let everyone know to get out now?" Amy asked as they ran down the first flight of stairs.

"Simple. Just like in any other slave community, this one had a resistance. Beetroot alerted the leader of it last night when you were asleep, and he spread the message to be ready to run when the ground shakes."

"How did you know the crystals would increase the power of the sonic enough to destroy the manipulator?"

"I didn't! Isn't it ace when complete shots in the dark work out alright?"

"Yeah, just peachy," Amy muttered.

"Oh, bugger. Looks like we've got company."

Three burly guards were making their way up the stairs below them, their motive clearly to prevent the couple from going any further.

"Great. What do we do now?"

The Doctor turned to Amy and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Do you trust me?" He asked.

"Of course," Amy replied without hesitation.

"Then hold on to me and don't even think about letting go."

Amy found this a reasonable request, and quickly wrapped her arms around the Time Lord. Without warning he pulled something out of his jacket that looked a bit like a gun. But upon releasing the trigger, a sturdy cable shot out of the end, soaring upwards until it the hooked end caught onto something and the line grew taut.

"Where the heck did you get that?" Amy asked in surprise.

"TARDIS storage. You never know what you might find there. I put it in my jacket ages ago and sort of forgot about it until now. Lucky, eh?" The Doctor answered. "Right now, remember what I said about holding on. Geronimo!"

Amy started screaming even before their feet left the stair, and her limbs clung to him so tightly he really didn't need to hold onto her at all. He laughed, partly from the exhilaration and partly because she reminded him so much of a frightened monkey. They landed safely on the ground floor of the skyscraper moments later, without even a scratch to justify all the fuss Amy had made about it.

"Well come along, Pond! We've got a portal to get to," the Doctor said, grabbing her hand.

"What about Beetroot?" Amy questioned suddenly remembering their new friend.

"Go on! My place is here!" Beetroot's voice called from above. They could just see him, several flights up, battling the other Soricomorphans with nothing more than the ancient battered lance. It looked like he was having the time of his life.

Neither the Doctor nor Amy needed to be told twice. They raced out of the unsteady skyscraper and into the streets, dodging through the masses that filled them. The Soricomorphans had lost control over their former slaves and now watched helplessly as their workforce ran to freedom. Unfortunately the mob was without order, and Amy found herself brutally separated from the Doctor. She was pushed to and fro in the frenzy, and it took all her might just to keep from getting trampled underfoot. An accidental blow to her head from someone's knee brought her down at last, the stones below cutting into her palms as she threw them out to catch herself.

"No!" The Doctor shouted, feeling a sense of panic rising within him. He barreled through the stampede, his sharp blue eyes searching for any sign of his companion. Just when all seemed to be lost, he saw it: a flicker of brilliant ginger hair.

Amy had curled herself in a ball, hoping it would protect her to some degree. She could taste blood in her mouth and felt bruises forming on various areas of her skin. She knew that, sooner or later, someone who was blinded by their lust for home would come crashing down on her, and that would be the end of it.

It was right then that the Doctor appeared, like a miracle, and scooped the girl up in his arms. Without wasting another a second he wove through the mob, avoiding nearly every obstacle. The bridge loomed ahead of them, and then the portal door, which had been ripped off its hinges.

It was nighttime when the door to the false shop, now no longer shielded by a perception filter, burst open, and people poured out by the dozens. The lateness of the hour was a fortunate thing, considering the citizens of nineteenth century Paris probably wouldn't have been able to comprehend such an event. Last thing anyone needed was another riot.

The Doctor didn't stop running for anything, not even when a bang announcing the closing of the portal resounded behind him. It wasn't until he was safe and secure in the TARDIS that he collapsed, panting, on the floor, Amy still locked in his arms.


	14. A Different Kind of Adventure

**Sorry if this chapter is a little short, but I wanted it to stand on its own considering it's a fluffy one lol. Kind of a break in between chapters, to lighten it up a bit.**

**Hope you enjoy, please review :)**

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"So I vote we don't go out to eat for supper," Amy said with a chuckle as the Doctor fixed up a cut on her forehead. She was sitting on a gurney in the medical bay as he dabbed a foul-smelling balm on it. The moment he had opened the jar her nose had wrinkled and she had loudly expressed exactly how she felt about the idea of something that smelled like that touching her skin. He had countered with the fact that it had the power to heal most wounds within twenty four hours and, after some argument, she reluctantly complied. She held her tongue as he applied it, for the Doctor's deft fingers were gentle and the balm not nearly as painful as she thought it would be.

"A nice quiet dinner at home. Sounds good to me," the Doctor said, touching the tip of her nose and leaving a smudge of balm there.

"Doctor!" Amy complained, rubbing the offensive gel off and smacking his shoulder. "Anyway, I was thinking I could make it. Never really made supper for anyone before. Might end up being an adventure in of itself."

"Okay, maybe this wasn't such a good idea," remarked the Doctor, not particularly liking 'supper' and 'adventure' being used together in the same context. "Is it too late to reconsider? We could do authentic Chinese; I haven't been banned from anywhere in that country—well, except for Shanghai. Just don't go anywhere near that city and we'll be completely sorted."

"Not a chance. I've already gotten excited about it. There's no going back now."

"Brilliant."

"Just wait till you try it. And relax; it's not as if I'm going to make haggis or anything." Amy grinned and let him help her off the gurney.

Although the Doctor still didn't seem convinced—Amy caught him telling the TARDIS to hide the kitchen as fast as she could manage—the preparation of supper went on as planned. Amy discovered a dusty old recipe book, most likely unused for decades, and flipped through it until she found what she wanted. The kitchen's refrigerator and pantry seemed to have an endless supply of ingredients, and she easily located the things she needed and piled them on the tile countertop.

"Can you please find something else to do?" Amy asked in exasperation when she caught the Doctor peering nervously over her shoulder for the millionth time.

"Just making sure everything's going smoothly," the Doctor answered, his eyes intent on the sharp butcher knife she was using to dice potatoes.

"Alright, buster. Why don't you make yourself useful and go set the table or something. Just get out of my kitchen!" Amy told him, brandishing the knife at him.

"Yes, dear," the Doctor gulped, eying the blade apprehensively. He turned on his heel and went to search for the dining room, which he hadn't utilized in ages considering how much more convenient the breakfast table in the kitchen was. He hoped the TARDIS hadn't chucked it out at some point. As he hunted, the TARDIS made a sound similar to a snort of laughter. The Doctor looked mildly put off.

"Oh shut up, you. She does _not_ have me wrapped around her finger," he told his ship, although both he and the TARDIS knew well enough that this was absolutely untrue.

* * *

"Supper's ready!"

The Doctor jumped a little at the sound of Amy's voice. He had gotten so involved in ensuring that the dining room looked perfect that he hadn't even noticed her enter the room with a copper cooking pot in her oven-mitted hands.

Amy gasped and stopped in her tracks. The table was draped in a white tablecloth with scalloped lace edges, and there was a lit silver candelabra in the center of the table. The light from it softened the blue walls and reflected off of the Blue Willow plates and silverware on either side of the table. There was a single red rose lying across the plate that she assumed was hers, although where exactly the Doctor got it was a mystery to her.

"What do you think?" The Doctor asked, a tiny bit worried she might not like it.

"Doctor, you never cease to amaze me," Amy said in reply, her eyes shining. "It's wonderful."

The Doctor smiled and kissed her on the cheek. She put down the covered pot and grabbed him by the bowtie, pulling him in for a deeper one right on the lips.

"You know, we could just skip dinner altogether," the Doctor suggested, pulling her closer.

Amy seemed to be considering this proposal, but then she realized something. "You're just trying to get out of eating my cooking, aren't you?"

"What, me? I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, you're a clever one. But not clever enough." Amy gave him one last kiss before wriggling out of his grasp. "The water rolls should be done by now," she said before darting off.

The Doctor picked at his food hesitantly. It looked edible enough—roast beef with seasoned potato wedges and water rolls. And the smell was incredible. But that could have just been a ruse.

"I promise I didn't poison anything," Amy said with a shake of her head. She speared a potato wedge on her fork. "Here, watch," she told him, and proceeded to eat it.

Once the Doctor saw plainly that she wasn't showing any signs of gagging to death, he slowly followed suit. To his surprise he found the food delicious—possibly even better than anything he could have made.

"Where'd you learn to cook?" He asked, his mouth full.

"When your aunt is out most of the time and you are at home alone, you tend to pick up on some things. Being a girl helps too; we're not quite as thick as you blokes. We actually read the directions."

"Ha ha. I'll have you know I always read the directions." The Doctor neglected to mention the little thing involving him pitching the TARDIS manual into a supernova. Some things were better left unsaid.

"Of course you do." Amy's smile reached her eyes, which glimmered good-humoredly in the candlelight. The Doctor momentarily forgot all about directions and supernovas, or really anything else that wasn't his Amelia Pond.


	15. Athens, Circa 438 BC

**Note: I know I said that River Song doesn't exist in this story, but I decided I liked her personality too much to just leave her out. Just so you know, though, this version of River isn't like the one in the show. Just forget all the parts where she hinted she might be married to the Doctor in the future, because in this story they're just good acquaintances. Doesn't mean Amy won't think otherwise at times, though.**

**Reviews loved :)  
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**

"Morning, sleepyhead. About time you got up."

Amy yawned and scratched her head, stumbling into the control room in her nightie, an old robe that had once belonged to the Doctor, and fuzzy bunny slippers he had bought her shortly after the Soricomorphan incident. His word for them was 'cute', and although Amy thought them mildly ridiculous she wore them anyway. Several months had passed since then.

"How long did I sleep?" Amy asked, still tired. She dropped into the chair near the console and yawned again.

"A little over ten hours. I was starting to worry you'd gone comatose or something."

"Guess I'm still not used to the way time passes on a spaceship. But hey, a girl does need her beauty sleep once and a while."

"Not you." The Doctor smiled from the other side of the console, pausing his twiddling for a moment.

"Oh go on," Amy said, blushing slightly. "Hey, have you eaten yet? I'm positively starving."

"Makes sense, after all that hibernating. Actually I was just about to have some fish fingers and custard, but I'm sure the TARDIS pantry has something else you can—"

"No, that'll work."

The Doctor looked at her in surprise. "Um, excuse me, Amy, you did hear me say 'fish fingers and custard', right?"

"Yeah, course. Do you mind?"

"No, but aren't you the one who's always complaining about my eating habits?"

"Well I might as well try it sometime. There's got to be some reason you like it so much."

"Because I'm not from your planet should be a good enough reason."

"Come on, just a little taste."

The Doctor sighed. "Just remember, I did warn you. It won't be my fault if you spit it out."

But Amy didn't spit it out. In fact, she ate the entire box and licked the bowl clean. "Honestly, I thought you were crazy for liking this, but it really isn't that bad. Got anymore?"

The Doctor just stared. Wordlessly he got up and fetched another box of fish fingers and a custard carton from the freezer and fridge respectively.

"So where do you want to go today? Past, future or planet?" He asked as he watched her scarf down more of his favorite snack with disbelief, starting to think she'd been spending a little too much time with him.

"Well after that fiasco on Trafferth last week, I say we go somewhere on Earth. Really, did you have to insult the Head Shaman?"

"Pardon me for mixing up the forms of greeting. I was under the impression that we were visiting the Llesiannol Tribe, not the Maleisus."

"'Mixing up'? You whacked him in the gills with a ceremonial staff!"

"Yes, and amongst the Llesiannols that would have been perfectly acceptable."

"Not to mention they tried to burn the TARDIS."

"Old girl's too smart for a primitive tribe of Maleisuses. She got her defensive shields up in time."

"After which we were accused of being masters of dark magic and sentenced to death."

"And you wonder why 'Look! What in the world is that over there?' worked so well. By the time they were finished trying to figure out what I was pointing at we were long gone."

"Still, no more primeval fish people planets."

"You really have no sense of fun."

Amy made a face. "We could go to Greece. I've always wanted to see the Parthenon in its heyday."

"Believe me, it's really not all it's cracked up to be. The replica in twenty-first century America is just as good."

"But twenty-first century America doesn't have genuine Greeks, does it?"

"You better not be planning on running off with some big-muscled Olympic athlete."

"I didn't even think about going to see the very first Olympics, but that is an idea. Do you think we could—"

"Most definitely not."

"Why?"

"Well firstly, women weren't allowed to even be present at the games, and those caught secretly watching were thrown off a cliff."  
"A bit dramatic, don't you think?"

"Yeah, maybe a touch, but that's Ancient Greece for you. Secondly, the athletes weren't exactly—ahem—clothed."

Amy raised an eyebrow. "If you're trying to protect my innocence you're a little late."

"I'm well aware." The Doctor grinned, wiping off a spot of custard from the corner of her mouth with his thumb. "Just remember that I've already got dibs on you."

"Really, Doctor, there's no need to make a fuss. You know I don't go for the big-muscled type."

"Oh, it's not you I'm worried about. It's them. Just because you're Amy Pond, the most beautiful, ginger-haired, brilliant girl anyone will ever lay eyes on, is hazard enough. Who could resist?"

"Hmm. I suppose I'll be keeping you around," Amy said with a smile.

"Not like you have much of a choice. I'm a little hard to get rid of."

* * *

It was in a serene olive grove that the TARDIS touched down, disturbing nothing more than a few unsuspecting birds that had been flitting about in the trees. The Doctor stepped out and breathed in the sweet Grecian air, his eyes bright with excitement.

"Welcome to Athens, circa 438 BC," he announced, spreading his arms out. When he received no response, he pivoted around to see what was taking his companion so long. "Well aren't you coming?" He asked.

"Have you ever considered that maybe River Song's stabilizers might be a tad useful at times?" Amy replied, leaning against the side of the TARDIS and looking faintly green.

"I'm pretty sure we already discussed the fact that the 'boringers' were to be blatantly ignored. And don't tell me you've gotten motion sickness all of a sudden. I thought you enjoyed the whole TARDIS shaking thing. I know I do."

"To a point. Not so much right now."

"You'll be fine in a moment," the Doctor told her optimistically. "Good thing is the TARDIS actually landed us in the right place. Look down there."

"Is that the Parthenon?" Amy asked in awe, her gaze set on the magnificent white-columned structure cresting the next hill over.

"The very one. Just completed, too, and isn't she a beauty," the Doctor said.

"Is everything female to you, Doctor?"

Both the Doctor and Amy whirled around in surprise.

"River. So we meet again," the Doctor said with a small chuckle.

The woman placed her hands on her hips and grinned, the wind tossing her wild, wheat-colored curls behind her. "Hello, sweetie."


	16. Archaeologists and Cythrauls

Amy wasn't sure how she felt about River Song's sudden appearance. She had gotten along with her fine the previous time, but things seemed different now. Maybe it was just because she didn't particularly like the term 'sweetie' being applied to her husband by anyone besides her.

"What are you doing here?' Amy asked, trying not to let her feelings show in her voice.

"Just conducting an archaeological dig a few miles from here," River replied. "Now let's see where we've met up this time. Ah, I see you've done the marriage bit already. Congratulations. But how about—oh wait, nearly forgot. Spoilers." The woman thought for a moment, a look of concentration on her face, as if trying to decide on the best way to phrase her question without giving anything away. "How long has it been since the wedding?" She inquired.

"Four months, as of today," the Doctor said without hesitation, squeezing Amy's hand.

"I can't believe you remembered that," Amy remarked, glad at least one of them was able to keep track. A calendar based on lunar cycles was irrelevant when traveling through all of time and space.

"Time Lords don't forget the important things."

"Well then, you've still got a little time, although not long, I'd say," River said with a knowing smile.

"A little time until what?" Amy asked, confused and a slight bit annoyed. She was starting to understand how the Doctor felt on Alfava Metraxis, the crash site of the Byzantium. It was certainly unnerving when someone knew your future before you did.

"Like I said, spoilers," River said mysteriously, pursing her lips as if to keep anything from accidentally slipping out.

"So what's so interesting about this archaeological dig? Not much history going on in 438 BC, considering it's still in the making," the Doctor spoke up.

"Oh, that's just what we're telling the locals. The truth is that my team and I discovered some indications of an alien presence landing here a short while ago, and we believe whatever it was is still around."

"Ah, now that is something interesting," the Doctor remarked, his curiosity sparked.

"And I assume you'd like to come check it out for yourself, am I right?"

The Doctor smiled. "I'd like nothing better."

"But Doctor, what about the Parthenon? You promised," Amy reminded him, grabbing his arm.

"Amy, we have time for both. We do have a _time_ machine, after all." And with that he walked off, following River's dancing curls down the hill.

Amy crossed her arms and stalked after him, having made up her mind that River showing up out of the blue did not classify as a good thing.

* * *

River Song's dig site was located at the base of the hill and marked with two canvas tents. In between them sat a middle-aged couple, dressed in modern-day khaki and studying a stone tablet that was lying on a crate, which served as a makeshift table.

"Well well, Professor Song, what a surprise. You go off to discover the source of a strange noise and return with guests," the dark-haired man said in amusement, removing his enormous glasses for a second in order to clean the lenses on his vest.

"Alexandros, this is the Doctor and his wife, Amy Pond. Doctor, I'd like you to meet Professor Alexandros Papandreou and his wife, Helena. I crossed paths with them in twenty-fifth century Greece. They are quite knowledgeable on the aliens I'm looking for," River introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Alexandros greeted, shaking both the Doctor and Amy firmly by the hand.

"'Doctor'? Are you an archaeologist as well?" Helena asked curiously. She was considerably shorter than her husband and very pleasant-looking, with dark, wavy brown hair cut short around her face and intelligent brown eyes.

"No, not exactly. People just call me 'the Doctor'. Don't really know why. I call me 'the Doctor' too. Still don't know why," the Doctor said brightly.

"Oh, well that clears it up," Helena muttered, looking lost.

"Well whoever you are, you're welcome to join us for a bite. We were just about to put lunch on," Alexandros invited.

"Sounds lovely," said the Doctor, making himself comfortable on the remains of a stone column.

While Helena unwrapped pitas from wax paper and stuffed them with lamb meat that had been cooking in a pan over the fire, River began telling their guests about the aliens.

"Do you know anything of the Erinyes, Doctor?" She asked, settling on another toppled pillar across from him.

"Ah, yes. Also referred to as the Eumenides, or, more commonly, the Furies, in Greek mythology. Of course I've heard of them. Not the most pleasant of legends, are they?"

"They're a lot more than legends." River lifted the stone tablet from the table and handed it to the Doctor, who took it with careful hands.

"What's it say?" Amy asked, leaning in closer. The Greek letters were incomprehensible to her.

"It's a firsthand account of a sighting of the Furies. Not much of a scholar, this bloke, considering all the blaring spelling errors," the Doctor noted.

"We found the writing carved into the stone of a temple that used to stand on this site," Alexandros explained. "The Erinyes are a tale that has been passed down through my family for generations, and now we finally have the proof."

"So what makes you think the Furies are aliens?" Amy asked as she took a Styrofoam plate from Helena that bore a pita and something the Greek woman called Souvlakia, which turned out to be steaming skewered kebabs. Her stomach growled hungrily, something she found odd taking into account how much fish custard she had consumed mere hours before.

"Think about it, Doctor. What interplanetary species do the Erinyes remind you of?" River Song questioned.

The Doctor was quiet for a moment, reflecting over this. "You mean to tell me these creatures might be Cythrauls?"

"What are Cythrauls?" Amy inquired between bites.

"Winged, feral beings native to a planet called Drueni, in the Ar Goll System. It wasn't a very big planet, with barely any atmosphere to speak of, and one day an asteroid twice its size crashed into it and destroyed it. Its only survivors were the Cythrauls, whose wings carried them to safety. I suppose they quit being nomads at one point and decided to take a holiday here," said the Doctor.

"The locals around these parts tell of such creatures terrorizing them at random, sometimes making off with a calf or small child," Helena supplied, shaking her head. "It's no wonder they believe them to be chthonic deities of vengeance."

"Chthonic?" Amy said in a low voice, unfamiliar with the word.

"It's a term pertaining to deities or spirits of the underworld in Greek mythology," the Doctor informed her.

"So we're going to go on a Cythraul hunt, yeah?"

"Something like that, yes. As soon as darkness falls," River Song said.

* * *

**Okay, name explanation time. I got 'Cythraul' from one of the Welsh terms for 'demon'. Drueni and Ar Goll also come from Welsh, Drueni meaning 'misery' and Ar Goll meaning 'lost'. I just think that, if you're looking for a weird yet neat-looking name for a sci-fi entity, the Welsh language is a pretty good place to go :)**

**Review please :)**


	17. Down in the Caves

When at last twilight cloaked the sloping horizon of Greece, paving the way to the dark, star-specked blue that would come later, the archaeologists packed up the things they would need and declared that it was time to leave.

"We'll be going down into the caves tonight. That's where the tablet says the Cythrauls made their home," River said, leading the procession across the rocky terrain. She unclipped a torch from her belt and switched it on, the Papandreou couple doing likewise.

"Do you think we'll have any luck finding them, Doctor?" Amy whispered almost conspiratorially as the Time Lord slipped his hand into hers. The warmth from it was reassuring, making the expedition feel like no more than a harmless scavenger hunt.

"Probably. I tend to have a habit of attracting the worst company," the Doctor joked, his lips grazing the top of her ear in a way that made a tingle shoot through her body.

As they entered the maze of caves under the hill, Amy clung closer to him. The darkness around them threatened to douse the weak light of the torches, and nothing could be heard but the dripping of water and what they hoped was the rustle of bats.

Sensing his companion's unease, the Doctor said, "Remember that time when the TARDIS electricity shorted out?"

"How could I forget? You suggested we make the best of it by playing hide and seek and I ended up falling into the swimming pool."

"But you have to admit it was still fun."

"Yes, only after I got my revenge by pulling you in with me."

"Ruining yet another perfectly good outfit in the process."

"Oh give me a break. You've got a bajillion tweed jackets and button-down shirts and the rest of that stuffy ensemble in the wardrobe, so stop your bellyaching."

"Still…"

Right then, a beeping sounded from somewhere in front of them, pulling their attention back to the present. They were in a cavern deep within the bowels of the earth, surrounded by enormous, jagged stalagmites and stalactites that seemed alien themselves.

"Readings," River Song announced, focused on the futuristic device in her hands. She looked back at the Doctor, her clear blue eyes glowing with anticipation. "There are Cythrauls nearby."

"Be careful; they can sense fear," Alexandros said softly.

"Oh now he tells us," said Amy, trying to keep her mind on the Doctor and his close proximity to her in hopes it would stave off her fear. It helped, but not entirely.

The rustling was getting louder, and it didn't sound like bats now, at least normally-sized ones.

"Doctor, remind me exactly why we had to come chasing after these things at night?" Amy whispered, purposefully overlooking the shadows flickering in the corners of the cavern.

"Because that's when they're active. Cythrauls are nocturnal beings," the Doctor replied.

Without warning, a screech filled the cave, echoing off the rock walls. The searchers stumbled back a step, momentarily disoriented by the noise.

"Oi, there's no need to be theatrical. We already know you're here," the Doctor shouted back.

"Doctor!" Amy hissed, not wanting to draw the creatures' attention so soon. The likelihood of them being friendly didn't seem very promising.

"I didn't come here to cower in dark corners, Amelia." The Doctor's gaze darted about the room. "Come on now, I know what you are, who you are, Cythrauls of Drueni. Show yourselves!"

Another shrill screech tore through the room, and three winged creatures burst out of the darkness. Their faces were nearly human, although there was something animalistic in their large, opal-like irises and the flatness of their noses. Dark, oily hair tumbled down to their shoulders, where flesh gave way to equally dark and oily feathers and leathery wings. They snarled at the newcomers, revealing pointed teeth.

"Ah, that's better. I prefer to actually see whoever I'm talking to," the Doctor said with his usual air of nonchalance.

"Foolish human! Why do you come looking for death in this place?" The Cythraul at the front questioned in a voice much like sandpaper. Apparently he was their leader of sorts.

"First off, I'm not human. Easy mistake, I'll let it slide this time. I'm from another world as well, a world destroyed by fire, and I know how it feels to lose your home. I wish only to speak with you."

The Cythraul surveyed him distrustfully, unsure of what to make of him. His lip curled up in a snarl. "We have no use for words. Survival is our only concern."

"But why here, why now? You have your pick of any planet in the entirety of the universe, yet you chose Earth. I know your kind, I know the daylight blinds you. It doesn't make sense to settle here."

"We had no choice; it was the furthest we got before its sun sent us hurtling through the atmosphere. But we found it conducive to our needs, nevertheless."

"What do you mean by that?" River asked.

The Cythraul smirked. "Without the sun, this planet would be paradise. We could build our nests in the trees and never have to worry about going hungry again. The residents are rather delectable, after all." He licked his lips, making the humans shudder.

"Sounds like a great plan except for one small detail. The sun doesn't look like it's going to up and leave anytime soon," the Doctor reminded him.

"We don't need it to leave. A permanent solar eclipse will do."

"And how exactly are you going to pull that off?"

Another Cythraul answered him, this one presumably female. "In our culture, the number eighty six has great significance. It represents life, the continuation of our species. And that structure on the hill, the one the humans call 'Parthenon', has eighty six columns in total. A pity the humans who built it did not realize they were dooming themselves."

"Before our flight from Drueni, we managed to rescue a singular opal of power. In days of old, the opals had the ability to change the course of the tides. Tomorrow night we shall take the humans' temple and use the eighty six columns to channel the opal's magnetic force," the leader added.

"You honestly think that's going to work? For all you know your elders could have been bluffing about eighty six being a lucky number," the Doctor told them.

The Cythraul didn't seem to like this suggestion too much. "The elders spoke only truth, and we do not appreciate you profaning their memory."

"Well now you've done it," Amy groaned as the Cythrauls began to advance. There were more of them now, climbing over the rocks behind their leaders, their teeth bared menacingly.

In a flash, River slid her blaster gun out of its holster and trained it on the creatures. "All of you, get out of here now!" She shouted at the others. The Papandreous needed no encouragement, disappearing around the far bend in seconds. The Doctor, however, didn't move.

"We're not leaving you here," he said firmly.

"I'll be right behind you, I promise. This will just hold them off for a little while," River responded. When the Doctor hesitated, she said, "This is no time to be thickheaded, Doctor! If you don't get Amy out of here right now so help me I will _murder_ you later!"

The mention of Amy's name brought the Doctor back to his senses. He grabbed her by the hand and took to his heels. Behind them the cavern was illuminated colorfully by blasts from River's gun, much like deadly indoor fireworks. The Cythrauls screeched louder, in pain and terror and outrage.

The Doctor and Amy had almost reached the cave entrance when they heard a rustling behind them. Predicting what it was, the Doctor shoved Amy through the cave entrance and out of the way. She landed harmlessly on the dark grass, rolling a bit before coming to a stop.

"Doctor!" She shouted, watching in horror as a Cyrthaul soared over his head. Its sharp claws raked through his jacket, sending him tumbling to the ground. The creature was just about to deliberate one final blow when there was a flash of blaster fire, and it screeched one last time before disintegrating into ash.

"Doctor, are you all right?" River asked in concern, helping the Time Lord to his feet.

"I'm fine, just fine," the Doctor said, coughing the Cythraul ash out of his lungs.

"Doctor, you're bleeding," Amy noted, cringing.

"Oh it's nothing. Just a scratch."

"We need to move. I've only stalled the Cythrauls; they'll catch up with us in no time," River told them in a serious voice.

With River on one side of the Doctor and Amy on the other to keep him steady, they made the quickest getaway they could, not stopping until they reached the camp. The Cythrauls didn't appear to have any intention of following them further. A gaggle of humans and one alien didn't seem much of a threat to their master plan.

Inside one of the tents, River had the Doctor remove his shirt so that she could tend to his wounds. Now that they were out in the open, the three red, jagged lines left by the winged beast looked ten times worse. Alexandros and Helena gasped when they saw them, knowing from legend what such an injury entailed.

"Shouldn't these heal on their own?" Amy asked, used to the Doctor's unnaturally rapid healing process.

"Yes, but not properly. The Cythrauls have a toxin in their claws that prevents the skin from knitting together the way it should," River replied, pulling a tube out of her satchel.

"Honestly, River, I'm fine. I don't need some human remedy to cure a few cuts," the Doctor protested.

"This isn't 'some human remedy'; it's from the Ar Goll System, explicitly formulated to get rid of Cythraul toxin, and it cost me a fortune so you better stop being a baby and take it like a man."

The Doctor shut up after that, watching her warily as she squirted the golden cream on her red-nailed finger. She was about to apply it to his skin when Amy caught her wrist.

"I can do that, thank you very much. He is _my_ husband, after all," the ginger-haired girl said pointedly.

River looked uncertain. "Are you sure you're up to it?"

"Course I am. I'll just take that." Amy snatched up the tube and began to rub its contents into the Doctor's wounds. The sight of the blood seeping from them made her stomach churn unexpectedly—she wasn't a pansy; blood had never made her queasy before—but instead of stopping she just bit her bottom lip and continued until the job was done.

"Well I suppose that does feel a little better," the Doctor said, not letting on exactly how much pain he had been in from the toxin. To express his gratitude, he pulled Amy into his lap and kissed her.

"Alright, we already know you two are married. There's no need to prove it," River remarked with a grin after the kiss had been going for a while.

* * *

There were still several hours until daylight, and the small group spent it sitting around the campfire, talking.

"We'll have to destroy the opal, there's no way around it," the Doctor announced, running his fingers through Amy's red locks. She was lying with her head in his lap, nodding off to the sound of their murmuring voices.

"It won't be easy. This stone is their only chance at survival. It will be well safeguarded, to be sure," River said. The firelight danced in her eyes, revealing some of the adventurous spirit within.

"It's worth trying, though. A total and permanent eclipse would be bad, very bad indeed."

A hush followed these words as Alexandros, Helena, the Doctor, and River mulled over their thoughts. Unable to stay awake any longer, Amy drifted off into an undisturbed sleep.

River's eyes dropped to the girl's still form, observing the rise and fall of her back as she breathed shallowly. "Promise me you'll make sure nothing happens to Amy. There are certain—important—things depending on her survival."

"Again with the secrets, Professor Song. Will we ever know what they mean?" The Doctor asked.

"One day. But you won't find out from me," River answered in her usual mysterious manner.

The Doctor just smiled contemplatively, his hand resting on his wife's shoulder.

* * *

**You guys may have noticed that I changed the rating from K+ to T. Most of my fictions are K+, but a little into writing this one I decided that might be a slightly too weak rating for the content. Although I'd have to say its a mild T :)**

**Thanks so much for reading. I hope you don't mind how this story keeps going on and on, but it is quite fun to write. Reviews always welcome :)**


	18. What Eudora Knew

When Amy awoke the next morning, it was to find that her insides had decided to rebel against her. The world spun around her as she disentangled herself from the Doctor's arms and staggered a short distance away to be sick. The Doctor was there in an instant, pulling her hair away from her face as another wave of nausea hit her.

"Here, eat this," he advised, handing her a peppermint when she was done. Surprisingly, it did the trick.

"I must have gotten food poisoning from the lamb or something," Amy surmised, leaning shakily back against a fallen pillar and placing a hand on her stomach.

"Maybe," said the Doctor, although he wasn't entirely convinced. The others had consumed the pitas without any ill effects. He figured, however, that it was possible Amy's digestive system was weaker, and perhaps fish custard and Greek cuisine was a bad combination for any human. "Would you like to go back to the TARDIS and lie down?"

"No! No, I'm fine," Amy said quickly, not wanting to miss out on anything. She pushed herself to her feet. "See?"

The Doctor knew better—he saw how she swayed slightly on the spot and how her face was pale—but he had lived with her long enough to know he'd be fighting a losing battle if he insisted on the subject. Amy was a fighter, and there was no way she would allow a stomachache to get in the way of another adventure.

"Okay, then. But if you have any more symptoms, it's straight back to the TARDIS and no buts about it," said the Doctor.

"You worry too much," Amy muttered, snapping one of his suspenders.

"Yeah, a bit. Can't help it."

* * *

Helena prepared that morning's meal once again, this time out of dried fruit, aged goat's cheese, olives, and flatbread. Everyone ate enough to satisfy them for most of the day, even Amy, who was ravenously hungry now that her stomach was empty.

After breakfast, the tents were packed away. They had decided that going back into the caves while the Cythrauls still occupied them was a bad idea, since it hadn't worked out all too well the first time. The plan was to wait until they brought the opal aboveground and destroy it then.

"So we've got a couple hours to kill, yeah? And you still owe me a visit to Athens," Amy prodded.

"Promise to stay out of trouble?" Said the Doctor.

"Doctor, when do I ever stay out of trouble?"

"That's right, this is Amelia Pond we're talking about. What was I thinking. Well, at least _try_ to stay out of trouble."

"I'll do my best."

"That's my girl." The Doctor smiled and kissed her forehead.

* * *

The Acropolis where the Parthenon stood proud was a busy place during the day. The Athenians bustled about, carting their wares to the marketplace or buying goods from street vendors, who were quite persuasive.

"Charms! Get your charms! Talismans blessed by Athena, proven to ward off evil spirits or enemies seeking to kill you. Just two drachmas, a bargain!" One of the vendors, a portly man wearing a chiton that was tattered and dirty on the hem, called out to passerby. "How about you, sir? A charm for your lover?"

"No thank you, Greek…person," the Doctor said whisking Amy out from under his lingering gaze. "Talismans blessed by Athena my foot. Most of this stuff's complete rubbish," he said in her ear.

Amy didn't seem to mind. Her eyes were wide with childlike wonder as she flitted around the marketplace, fascinated by the objects that would one day end up in a museum, assuming they lasted that long. The Doctor reveled in her reaction, in every curl of her lip and tinkling of laughter whenever she came across something that amused her. Despite his claim of everything being cheap, he ended up buying her combs to put in her ginger hair and an expensive purple himation, which he showed her how to drape over her head like a shawl in the fashion of married women.

Around noon they sat on the ledge of an elaborate fountain and shared a stack of honey cakes. Halfway through Amy's third, she felt a tug on her leg and looked down in surprise to find a little Greek child, probably no more than three years old, clinging to it. He had a mess of gorgeous brown curls, pudgy cheeks, and a huge devilish smile that indicated he was most likely up to no good. A strange feeling—a pleasant one this time, reminiscent of butterflies—erupted inside of her, and she picked up the rogue boy without thinking.

"Got away from your mother didn't ya, you naughty thing," Amy reprimanded fondly, loving the softness and warmth of his skin and the way his curls tickled her cheek. The child only chortled impishly at his little game.

Amy scanned the crowd for someone who looked like his mother. Sure enough, a dark-haired, plainly dressed woman came running into sight, wild-eyed and out of breath. When she saw her son sitting happily on Amy's lap, a look of relief passed over her expression.

"Hippocrates, what did I tell you about running off! You could have gotten hurt," the woman scolded as Amy handed him over to her. "Thank you for catching him, madam."

"You're welcome. Gotta keep an eye on this one. He's a troublemaker," said Amy with a chuckle.

"Don't I know it." the Greek woman grinned and disappeared back into the crowd, her son on her hip. Amy watched them leave, one hand subconsciously resting on her middle.

"Well you can add meeting the first real physician to your list," the Doctor remarked from behind her.

Amy spun around. "You mean that little boy…that was _the _Hippocrates?"

"Yes, and what a name, eh? Must be visiting family here in Athens, considering how far he is from Kos. That's the island where he was born."

"Amazing," Amy remarked, slightly awestruck. Not many people could claim holding the reason for the Hippocratic Oath in their arms. "Wish I could have kept him."

The Doctor looked appalled. "Amy, children aren't pets. Could you imagine one running around in the TARDIS? It would be absolute havoc."

"What, are you trying to say you don't want children in the future?" Amy asked, her joy fading.

"No, but the TARDIS isn't exactly the best environment for a little one, is it?"

Amy didn't know why she was so upset. She didn't understand what was wrong with her emotions, making her feel happy one minute and then irrational the next, like a rollercoaster ride. She mused that all the time traveling could finally be taking its toll on her body, or maybe she was just sick.

"Fine, if you feel that way about it." Amy snapped, dropping her himation.

"Wait, hold on, what? Did I miss something? What're you doing? Amelia!"

But Amy just stormed off, leaving behind a very confused Doctor.

"Doctor, there you are!" River Song suddenly appeared, her pleasant expression vanishing when she saw him staring at the Grecian garment in his hands. "Where's Amy?"

"I don't know. We were just sitting here talking and all of a sudden she got mad and left. Females; you are such complex beings."

River looked stunned. "What exactly did you say to her?"

"Nothing, really. Just that I didn't think it would be a good idea to have children running around the TARDIS, that's all."

"Oh good grief Doctor, you are an idiot," said River, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Would you mind clueing me in on what exactly is going on?"

"Later. You have to find her, Doctor, this instant. Who knows how far she's wandered by now."

* * *

Meanwhile, Amy had lost herself in the crowds of the Acropolis. The many unfamiliar faces flashing past her and the heat of the sun made her dizzy, and she started to wish she had never left her Doctor. The pressing of the throng instilled a sense of claustrophobia in her, and every effort she made by turning down another street only had the adverse effect. After an hour she had herself completely turned around, and was exhausted, irritated, and sick to her stomach on top of it.

"Miss?"

Amy looked up to see a grandmotherly Greek woman with silvery-gray hair pulled back at the nape of her neck. Her kind eyes studied the girl with compassion, and something else—understanding. "You don't look well," she noted.

Amy opened her mouth to say she was fine, but as soon as she did her vision went black. She felt herself lurch forward, and then the woman's thin but strong arms catch her. When her sight refocused, the woman was already leading her away. "Come, I will take care of you," she said.

Amy didn't have much of a choice. She didn't seem to have the ability to stand on her own, and she doubted the woman intended to hurt her. "Who are you?" She managed to say.

"Eudora," the woman responded simply.

They had passed through a doorway and were in the open courtyard of a modest home now, presumably Eudora's. The old woman didn't stop until they were in a room just off the courtyard, furnished with low couches and a three-legged table. It was on one of these couches that she had Amy lie down.

Although the couch's padding was worn, Amy found it a relief. She laid her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes, not even objecting when her hostess dabbed a warm, moist rag on her forehead. Later the woman left and returned with a pitcher of water and a bowl of fruit, neither of which went untouched.

Amy was just drifting off into a restful sleep when Eudora said, "Now, where has the father of your child gotten to?"

* * *

**Just to explain some of the Greek-ish stuff: both a chiton and himation are Greek garments, the chiton being the base outfit and the himation being more of a draping shawl. Hopefully I haven't gotten anything historically incorrect, because I'm relying entirely on the internet for my facts here lol.**

**Oh, and I think you guys may know what I've been hinting at for a while now :)**

**Thanks for reading, please review!  
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	19. A Surprise and a Warning

**Please review and all that jazz.**

**Enjoy :)**

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"I'm sorry, but what?"

Eudora blinked. "You didn't know you were expecting?"

"No, I can't be." Amy was fully awake now, her brain racing into overdrive. She thought about everything over the past few months that had seemed out of place—extreme exhaustion despite multiple hours of sleep, a sudden affinity for fish custard, constant hunger, queasiness, the appearance of maternal instinct, moods spinning out of control. Not to mention she couldn't even remember when her last time of the month had been. She felt tears leaking out of her eyes and didn't know if they were from joy or alarm. "How can you be sure?" She asked unsteadily.

"Miss, I've had a total of five daughters and sons in my lifetime, and they all grew up and had children of their own. Believe me, I know when a woman is pregnant, no matter how early." Eudora wiped a tear from Amy's cheek and then clasped her hands firmly in hers. "There there, it's all right. You are young, yes, but you are strong as well. And it will be worth it." The old woman turned her hands over so that the palms were open and traced her gnarled thumbs over the lines in them. She closed her eyes and concentrated, the oil lamps in the room flickering when she spoke again. "However, it will be a little harder than usual, I see. The father is not from this world, and therefore neither is the child. And beware the Lion, for he seeks to snuff out the eternal flame of all."

Amy's eyes were wide in shock. "You can see the future," she breathed.

Eudora smiled, revealing a few missing teeth. "Only bits and pieces, love. It runs in my family, but over the years I've begun to lose it. The life you lead must be quite exciting to have awoken it again."

* * *

"You could have planted a locator chip on her or something. It would have made this a lot easier," River said, blowing a wayward curl out of her face. They had been combing through the streets of Athens for an hour with no luck.

"I'm sorry the idea of bugging my own wife never occurred to me," replied the Doctor in aggravation. The longer he was separated from Amy the more frantically his hearts beat, echoing the fear he had that they might never find her. He was also aware that, as the day wore on, the time of their reunion with the Cythrauls was also growing closer.

"No need to get your knickers in a knot. We'll find her," River told him, realizing how upset he was.

"I shouldn't have said that thing about children. I just wasn't thinking; I really do love them."

"Good thing," River muttered under her breath. "Listen, don't beat yourself up about it. She's just got a lot to deal with right now, but she still loves you."

This seemed to improve the Doctor's mood somewhat, and he didn't question her about what she meant. River shook her head, reflecting that for someone who knew so much about all the stars and the worlds beyond, the Doctor was significantly lacking in the basics.

The two of them were so preoccupied with their own thoughts that they didn't notice the old woman standing on the street corner, her face upturned and her eyes closed. When they passed by, however, her eyes snapped open.

"You are the one I'm looking for," the woman announced, making the Doctor and River stop in their tracks.

"Pardon?" Said River, her hand straying instinctively to the gun holster concealed beneath her cloak.

The old woman's wise old eyes were set on the Doctor. "You are the husband of the girl with the orange hair. Eudora knows."

"Wait, you've seen Amy?" The Doctor's full attention was caught now, and he approached the woman excitedly.

Eudora nodded. "Yes, she is resting in my house. I will take you to her."

"Do you think we can trust her?" River whispered in his ear.

"She says she knows where Amy is. I don't really care whether she's trustworthy or not," the Doctor responded.

River was still uncertain. "How did you know he was this girl's husband?"

"I have the gift of Sight. I sensed it as soon as you were near enough." Eudora drew near the Doctor and traced her finger along the inside of his palm. "Without a doubt you are he," she told him.

The Doctor shrugged. "Good enough for me."

River sighed and followed the two of them to a Grecian home crammed in between others like it. They walked through the entry and across the courtyard. Eudora opened a door off to the side and motioned for them to enter.

Amy was sitting on the couch within, her hands between her knees. When she saw them her eyes lit up, but the look immediately changed to one of apprehension.

The Doctor was oblivious. As soon as he saw her he ran to her, picking her up off the couch and enveloping her in his arms. "Mad, magnificent, impossible Amy," he murmured into her hair.

"Gotcha," Amy responded with a weak laugh, noticing for the first time how firm her abdomen felt when pressed up against him. She was afraid to tell him, afraid of what his reaction would be.

"Never do that to me again, okay?" The Doctor ordered, planting a single kiss on the tip of her nose before he decided to heck with it and began kissing her cheeks and everywhere else. She tasted a bit like saltwater but he didn't mind.

Amy's eyes met River's over the Doctor's shoulder, and she realized that the woman knew her secret, had known throughout the entire time they'd been in fourth century Greece. _He needs to know,_ River's gaze was telling her now.

"I'm sorry I ran off. I just—haven't been feeling well lately," Amy began, finding it difficult to choose her words for once in her life.

"I thought you were a little out of sorts. Hope you didn't contract some kind of rare Grecian virus." The Doctor felt her forehead for a temperature.

"Not that kind of sick." Amy grabbed his hand and pulled it down to her stomach. "What do you feel?"

The Doctor was bemused at first, but his wife's insistent look made him take her seriously. He concentrated, blocking out all outside distractions.

"That's funny, but it's almost like…a heartbeat. No, hang on. Two heartbeats…" the Doctor's eyes shot up, comprehension dawning in them. "Amy?"

"Yes?"

"Amy, that's a baby."

"I know."

"You're carrying a baby."

"Bit slow on the uptake, aren't ya?"

"My baby."

"Are you going to shut up now?"

"Bet you a drachma he's not going to," River muttered to Eudora, who shook hands on it with her.

The Doctor opened his mouth to say something else, but Amy silenced him by kissing him. River rolled her eyes and fished a single coin out of her pocket, placing it in the old woman's outstretched hand.

"I know it was sort of an accident…" Amy began, but the Doctor cut her off.

"Wonderful, radiant, gorgeous Amelia Pond, this is most likely—no, definitely—the best mishap we've ever gotten into," he said, spinning her around in the air and making her laugh. Almost abruptly he stopped and turned to River. "Wait a minute, you _knew_. All that 'spoilers' mumbo jumbo, and you _knew._"

"Of course I knew. I'm the child's godmother, after all."

"Figures," The Doctor remarked, raking his unruly fringe back. "You could have told us."

"And miss out on this reaction? Perish the thought," River said with a smile. At that moment something buzzed on her belt, and she pulled her communicator out. "Well I was wondering where they went. Alexandros and Helena say they've visited the Parthenon to collect information and report that everyone clears out at sundown."

"It's nearly time, then," the Doctor noted, glancing at his watch.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality, Eudora. Who knows what could have happened to Amy if it wasn't for you," River told the old woman.

"Oh it was nothing, dear. It gets mighty boring around here, and exciting guests are always appreciated," Eudora replied, escorting them to the door and holding it open for them. She stopped the Doctor, however, on his way out. The lamp by the door guttered, despite the lack of a breeze. "Beware the Lion, Time Lord. As long as he lives, she is in danger."

A chill went down the Doctor's spine. "Who is this Lion?"

Eudora narrowed her eyes, as if to recall something, but ended up shaking her head. "It's blurry. All I know is what I have told you. I'm sorry."

"Thanks for the warning, regardless." With that the Doctor left, Eudora's door closing behind him with an ominous thud. He caught up to Amy and threaded an arm around her waist, trying his best not to let his anxiety show.


	20. Ashes to Ashes

"No, Amy."

"But Doctor—"

"I said no. You saw what that one creature did to me. I'm not going to put the life of either you or the baby in jeopardy." The Doctor reached up to brush Amy's hair out of her face, but she stepped back and crossed her arms.

"Amy, please. Helena has already agreed to stay behind with you," River said. They were all standing at the bottom of the Parthenon's stone steps, the sun just beginning to set.

"I'm not going to be babysat," Amy shot back obstinately.

Unlike the last time Amy had insisted on coming with him in Soricomorpha, the Doctor wasn't having any of it. He grasped her by the shoulders, not in a way that it hurt but so she knew he meant business, and stared her in the eye. She flinched slightly under his gaze. "Listen to me, Amelia. So help me you are staying out of danger, even if I have to haul you back to the TARDIS and lock you inside. Understood?"

Amy glared at him, but she knew when to not cross him. "If you get hurt up there I am sooo going to kill you," she told him fervently.

"Kinda defeats the purpose, don't you think?" The Doctor said softly, the corner of his lip turning up in a lopsided grin. Amy pulled him in by the suspenders and kissed him as hard as she could, as if there was a possibility she would never see him again. He returned the desperation behind her kiss, tangling his fingers in her hair.

"I love you," Amy said into his collarbone.

The Doctor squeezed her gently before moving back. "Love you more. Take care of that little one for me."

Amy nodded, allowing Helena to take her by the arm and whisk her away down the incline.

* * *

The sunset was beautiful, bathing Athens in gold and rose and faint shades of mauve, but Amy's mind was on other things. She paced back and forth in the crumbling temple Helena had chosen for them to wait in until she got dizzy and the archaeologist forced her to sit down. Amy leaned back against a column and shut her eyes, her hands folded over the almost indiscernible bump in her tummy. Instead of getting the rest she sought, memories played on the back of her eyelids like a film. A blue box hurtling out of the sky and smashing her aunt's garden shed to bits, and the strangest, most raggedy man she had ever seen popping out of the top of it. He had spoken nonsense—of swimming pools in the library and of time machines. The first time she had ever cooked for him, everything she set before him facing rejection as soon as they were tried. He had mesmerized her, made her believe in things far too fairytale to belong in the real world, things she craved most after living in the dullness of Leadworth. For nineteen years she thought she lost him, and convinced herself she hated him for it. But then he came back for her. He always did.

Amy was pretty sure that, if someone were to tell her nineteen-year-old self that she would one day be married to that insane man and expecting his child, she would have laughed in their face. She would have told them that they must be confusing the Raggedy Doctor with Rory, and to go sleep it off. It was amazing how much had transpired in between the time she was seven years old and the present, how much everything had changed.

"How are you feeling?" Helena asked quietly.

"Bored. Why do they get to have all the fun?" Amy responded, staring up at the dusky sky.

Helena chuckled. "Most people wouldn't consider ruining an alien race's plan for world domination 'fun'."

"Depends on your angle." Amy smiled, remembering a time in what felt like ages when the Doctor had said those same words about a trapped starwhale. It had been during that adventure that he had realized there was more to her than he thought.

"I remember when Alexandros and I were waiting for our first to arrive. It's a wonderful thing, starting a family," Helena said in an effort to get her charge's mind off the Cythrauls.

"A family." Amy found the word foreign when it applied to her. They were going to make a very interesting family, no doubt about that: a Time Lord, an immortal human, and a combination of the two. The kid could forget about being normal.

It had only been fifteen minutes, and already Amy was getting restless. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the structure atop the Acropolis, which looked tiny from where she was.

"Are you hungry? I can get you something from our supplies, if you want," Helena offered.

Amy looked at the woman and then back at the Parthenon, and a light bulb clicked on in her head.

"Yeah, famished. But what I really want is some of those." The girl pointed at a tree ripe with olives, the wind ruffling its delicate leaves.

Noting the distance in between the lowest branch and the ground, Helena heaved a sigh. "Do you _have_ to have olives?"

Amy nodded enthusiastically. "You know how cravings are."

"Fine." Helena stood up and headed to the olive tree, which was a good distance from the temple. As soon as she was far enough away, Amy made a break for it.

* * *

The Doctor, River and Alexandros hid in the shadows of the Parthenon's mighty columns, waiting. It was surreal to see the ancient temple looking new and whole, but the three time travelers could only marvel for a short while. There were much bigger things afoot.

"So what's your plan?" River asked the Doctor, taking readings of the building.

"Um…"

River pulled her attention away from her device to give him an annoyed look. "Let me guess, another 'thing in progress', eh, Doctor?"

"Basically, yeah. Brain still thinking."

River sighed and glanced up at the setting sun. How he always managed to get out of situations was beyond her.

"Are you sure this man knows what he's doing?" Alexandros whispered to River.

"You know, we're all in the same room—er—temple entrance. I can still hear you," said the Doctor.

"Yes, Alexandros, he knows what he's doing. Hopefully," River told the archaeologist as if the Doctor had never interrupted.

When the last of daylight was just barely visible and the moon hung full in the sky, the Cythrauls came at last. They were silent, gliding on their dark wings and landing on the threshold of the temple, their sharp talons clinking against the stone. The creatures turned to face the moon, apparently unaware that they were being watched from the shadows.

Without warning, the Doctor felt the cold barrel of a gun press into his back. He whirled around. "Oi, what's this?" He demanded.

"Alexandros, what the devil are you doing? And that's mine!" River exclaimed, realizing her blaster's holster was empty.

Alexandros didn't look like the pleasant, middle-aged man they had come to know. His face was twisted into a maniacal grin, and his grip on the blaster gun suggested he knew how to use it. "What can I say, being a pickpocket in your early years can pay off," Alexandros replied. He jabbed the Doctor in the chest with the weapon, forcing him to retreat back a few steps into plain sight of the Cythrauls.

"Good work, Alexandros. Always could count on a Papandreou," the Cythraul leader said, turning his attention the newcomers. He was holding the opal of power in his long-nailed fingers. It was not what they had expected; uncut, the baseball-sized jewel looked like no more than a dirty rock, glimmering black in the moonlight.

"I trusted you! Why are you doing this?" River asked angrily. Silently she cursed herself for not seeing through a member of her team earlier.

Alexandros had no need to answer. The Doctor had already begun to figure it out. "Ah, now I see it. The Papandreous never were enemies of the Cythrauls, were they? They were _friends_. Allies."

"Quite correct, Doctor. For centuries my lineage has fended off those who wish to interfere with them," Alexandros announced as if it was something to be proud of.

"Alright, that's all hunky-dory and everything, but to what end? What did you lot get in exchange?" The Doctor asked.

"Our continued existence after the Cythraul race overruns the Earth. A good bargain, I'd say."

"I am very sorry, Alexandros, but that is not what I call a 'good bargain'. A 'good bargain' is when you find a somewhat-working hookah in an old Indusian lady's yard sale for only five rupyas. No, this is what you would call the 'short end of a stick', as it were."

"I would shut up if I were you. You have a blaster pointed at your heart, in case you didn't notice," Alexandros said through clenched teeth.

"Technically it's pointed at only one of them, but that's neither here nor there. Besides, if you had the intention of killing us, you would have done it already."

Alexandros's eyes flashed black. "Arweinydd wishes you to be the first to see the Cythrauls take Earth for their own," he said in a sharp tone, making it clear that, if it were up to him, things would be a little different.

"Arweinydd?" River questioned.

"I am Arweinydd, Alpha Leader of the Winged Ones," said the Cythraul bearing the opal. "And yes, I do so enjoy spectators whenever I'm dooming a race. It's so refreshing."

"If only I had my backup blaster. This is what I get for packing light," River muttered to the Doctor. "Any ideas?"

"Nope, not one. My previous plan didn't involve betrayal, so I got nothing."

"Fabulous."

Arweinydd smirked and raised the opal skyward. The stone began to glow red-hot, as if capturing the last sliver of sunlight within it. In response the sun began to rise once more, slowly but surely, as the moon crossed the sky to meet it. The Doctor and River could only watch powerlessly as the laws of planetary revolution were bent by the magnetic pull of the opal.

Without warning, the opal shattered, breaking the pull on the sun, the shards raining down around Arweinydd's head. Bewildered, the Doctor and River turned to see Amy standing at the top of the steps, the Doctor's crude wooden slingshot in her hand.

"Amy! I thought I told to stay away!" The Doctor reprimanded.

"Yeah, since it so looked like you had this under control," Amy remarked.

The Cythrauls screeched in anger and despair, the recognition that their entire future they had constructed for themselves had just been smashed to pieces with the destruction of the opal. They collapsed on the floor, writhing in anguish, and, to everyone but the Doctor's surprise, ignited. Before anyone could do anything, the Cythraul race was gone, piles of ash the only indication that they had ever existed.

"What…what happened to them?" River asked, examining an ash heap at her feet in amazement.

"The opals of old didn't just empower the Cythrauls; they were their life force. Once the last one was destroyed, there was nothing to keep them alive," the Doctor answered.

There was the sound of labored breathing, and Helena appeared behind Amy. "I'm sorry, Doctor, I tried to make her stay put, but somehow she…" the woman trailed off when she caught sight of her husband with the blaster gun, which although limp in his hands was still directed at the Doctor. "Alexandros, what is the meaning of this?"

Alexandros didn't look quite as conceited as he had mere seconds before. His family's purpose had just been disintegrated with the Cythrauls, and his future was looking grim at the moment. "I'm so sorry, Helena. I will always love you."

Before Helena could ask him what he was talking about, Alexandros turned the gun on himself. Helena screamed as he crumpled, toppling down the steps of the Parthenon.

"Dear lord," River said, covering her mouth. She put a comforting arm around her weeping friend, who had sunk to her knees.

No one could tear their gaze from the broken form at the bottom of the temple steps. Eventually the Doctor pulled Amy away, and she burrowed into his chest, inhaling his safe scent.

"Why do you never listen to me, Pond?" The Doctor asked her.

"Hey, I did my best. But you have to admit, I do have pretty good timing."

"Yes yes, you were brilliant. I know." The Doctor couldn't help but show a little pride, even though he didn't like the idea of her risking everything for him. He rested his chin on the top of her head, and both of them just stood there in silence, allowing Helena time to mourn.

* * *

**Note- Arweinydd is a Welsh term for 'leader'. Very original, I know lol.**

**Can't believe this story's reached twenty chapters already. I don't really feel like ending it yet, but I was thinking of breaking it up by starting another story, like a sequel, just so it isn't quite so enormous. Would that be better than a million chapters or would it be annoying?**

**Anyway, thanks for reading, and remember that reviews are loved :)  
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	21. Saying Goodbye Again

**I guess I'll keep this story going with its million chapters lol, just so you guys don't have to go story alert another one. Thanks for the input, by the way.  
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**Just to warn you, fluffiness shall ensue in this chapter.**

**Please review :)**

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They were back in front of the TARDIS, saying goodbye once more. It was a balmy night, with the gentlest of breezes winding through the grove, and it seemed like the world was thanking them for saving it.

"Until later, then," the Doctor said to the woman who was still a mystery to him and Amy.

"Not too much later, though. We'll meet again shortly, but this time I won't know you," River responded. Her blue eyes sparkled, and she smiled. "It will be an interesting meeting, have no fear." She turned to Amy. "Take care of yourself, now. I want to still be a godmother when I get back to my time. And I know this is completely pointless advice, but try not to give the Doctor too much strife. He only does what he thinks is best for you."

"I know." Amy grinned and hugged the woman. "See ya."

River patted the girl on the back, waved one last time to the both of them, and then went to join the waiting Helena. The archaeologist had recovered somewhat, but it was clear that the expressionless front she put on was to hide the endlessly deep hurt within. Together they tapped their vortex manipulators and disappeared with a spark of time electricity.

"Hope that woman didn't put any ideas into your head," the Doctor commented, holding open the door for his wife.

Amy patted him lightly on the cheek. "Like I've said before, you worry too much," she said as she stepped into the TARDIS. It felt good to be home again, and she walked up the steps to the console and laid an affectionate hand on the console's central column.

The Doctor came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, his hands cupping her slightly expanded tummy. "You're magnificent, you know that?" He muttered leaving a trail of kisses from her ear to her shoulder.

"One of these days you're going to run out of adjectives for me, Doctor," Amy laughed, a tingling warmth spreading through her body.

"Only because all the good ones will have already been used by then. And then I'll have to start using ones like 'idiotic' and 'harebrained'."

"Oh you don't want to go there, Doctor. I am a master when it comes to insults."

"I can believe that." The Doctor's lips moved back to her neck. Her eyes slid shut, and then suddenly she gasped. Immediately on the alert, the Doctor pulled away. "You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just…I'm not sure, but I think the baby kicked. I thought they weren't even supposed to move around this early."

"Oh, I forgot to mention that Gallifreyan young are a little different from those of humans. They develop at a faster rate and are also quite a bit sturdier. Two hearts and all."

"It felt so weird. I can't imagine getting used to this." Amy frowned at her midsection, remembering what Beetroot had said about her being one of the 'mothers of future generations'. She couldn't help feeling like she was unprepared for this, like she wasn't ready to bring another Time Lord into the impossible world they lived in.

The Doctor kissed her forehead supportively and then fiddled with the controls, sending them back up into deep space. Amy noted that he was careful to use the stabilizers this time. As she watched him pilot his ship, her eyelids began to droop, and she yawned.

"Alright, bedtime," the Doctor announced after the third yawn. Amy didn't even bother protesting as he took her by the arm and dragged her to their room. He helped her get ready for bed and then lay down with her, loosening his bowtie and placing it on the nightstand nearby. Amy relaxed into him, falling asleep in seconds.

* * *

The morning air smelled of cinnamon oatmeal, waking Amy up fairly quickly. Mechanically her hand reached over to her husband's side of the bed and found it empty. After sitting up and waiting for the unsettled feeling in her stomach to pass, Amy swung her legs over the bed and padded to the kitchen.

The Doctor was there of course, wearing a laughably frilly apron and stirring a steaming pot of sugary, cinnamony goodness on the stove. Amy snuck up behind him.

"Mornin!"

The Doctor yelped in surprise, the oatmeal-coated wooden spoon in his hand flying across the kitchen and sticking to the opposite wall like glue. "Amelia! What do you think you're doing out of bed?"

"Getting breakfast, of course. You can't just make something that smells that good and not expect me to pop up in a matter of seconds."

"Well I want you to march straight back there. I'm bringing breakfast to you this morning."

"That's real sweet of ya, but I don't really need to—"

The Doctor, however, was set in his decision. He herded her out of the kitchen and back into the bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. "Now just rest awhile. I'll only be five minutes, I promise." With that he dashed out of the room.

"But I'm not tired anymore!" Amy called after him, her words falling on deaf ears. She sighed and fell back into the pillow, wondering if this was what River meant. If so it was going to be a long nine months. Or whatever the gestation period was for Time Lords, she hadn't thought to ask.

Thankfully, the promised food appeared moments later in the form of the oatmeal, French toast, and orange juice, all arranged nicely on a tray with a lace placemat. The Doctor sat it on her lap and then perched at the foot of the bed, an eager expression on his face. He wasn't disappointed. Amy made quick work of everything he had prepared for her, to the point where not one crumb was left. When she was done she looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Can I have fish custard too?"

The Doctor was taken aback. "You're still hungry?"

"I am eating for two now, ya know."

The Doctor shook his head and headed back to the kitchen with the tray, hoping his fish fingers and custard supply would last over the next couple of months. He wasn't sure exactly how limitless the TARDIS's supply of them was.

They ate the strange snack together, dipping out of a mixing bowl to avoid having to go back for seconds. When at last Amy's bottomless pit of a stomach was full, she sighed and curled up against the Doctor, feeling sleepy once more.

"So what do you think it's going to be, a boy or a girl?" Amy asked, fiddling with the buttons on his red-striped sleeve.

"I could tell you, if you'd like. Or would you prefer to wait until it's born?"

"I never understood those idiots who insist on waiting until the birth to find out the gender. I mean seriously, what's the point? Neutral nursery colors are annoying."

The Doctor chuckled and pulled his sonic out of his pocket. He changed the setting on it to scan and waved it slowly over her abdomen. As soon as the screwdriver started beeping he brought it up to inspect it. "It's a boy."

Amy couldn't help beaming. "A son. I'm—we're having a son." She locked her gaze on his, a maternal look radiating in her green eyes. "Bet you're happy about that."

"Frankly I wouldn't mind if it was a girl. As long as she grew up to be just as wild and headstrong and frustrating as you."

Taking this as a compliment, Amy brushed her lips against his, glad that whatever hard times were ahead he would be there with her through them all.

* * *

**There was a couple reasons I wanted the Doctor and Amy's first to be a boy. One was that in most of the 11/Amy fics out there where they have a kid, it's a daughter, and I wanted this to be different. Also, I liked the idea of both the Master and the Doctor having sons; kinda goes with the human wives parallel. Lastly, I just thought it'd be cute, although a daughter would be cute too. Maybe they'll have one later :)**


	22. Oops

The Doctor was hiding.

The TARDIS had a jolly good time teasing him about it too, the once-last Time Lord in existence afraid of a little thing like a hormonal pregnant wife. The Doctor tried to point out that it was _not _a little thing, that this was _Amy_ they were talking about, yet still his ship laughed at him. What was worse was that she seemed to by on Amy's side, and kept giving his hiding places away.

Things hadn't always been like this. After leaving Greece, the Doctor had taken Amy to the most peaceful, danger-lacking planets and time periods he could think of. The child grew quickly, and by her fifth month she was already as big as a planet. Despite this and the fact that her morning sickness had yet to go away, Amy's thirst for adventure was never stronger. This worried the Doctor. Although he knew full and well that miscarriages involving Gallifreyan offspring were very rare, he was constantly reminding himself that Amy wasn't of his race. Her body was quite a bit more fragile than that of a Time Lady's, and therefore subject to complications. It was during her fifth month that he decided to confine her to the TARDIS in order to keep her safe. At first he occupied her by exploring the many extensive rooms with her, but Amy soon became bored with this. She didn't like the feeling of being trapped; after all, she had escaped her home to travel the universe with the Doctor, and there was a severe lack of traveling the universe at the moment. She begged him to take her somewhere, anywhere, but every time he deflected her requests. It was just far too risky, and he had made up his mind that he'd rather have a cranky Amy than have something happen to her.

"Doc-tooorr!"

The Doctor gulped and pulled himself deeper into the storage cupboard. He saw his wife's feet pass his hiding spot through the crack under the door, and sighed in relief when he heard them receding. The TARDIS, however, wasn't planning on letting him get away that easily. With a whoosh the door swung open on its own accord.

"Doctor! What in the world are you doing in a broom closet?" Amy demanded, backtracking. She stood over him, her arms crossed high over her swollen stomach, her toe tapping impatiently on the floor.

"Um, nothing! Nothing at all. Just…making sure all the brooms and mops are up to par, can't have a shabby cleaning tool hanging around," the Doctor said, struggling to his feet. This was difficult considering his long limbs had somehow gotten tangled in the broom handles and mop heads, making a considerable mess by the time he at last managed to remove himself from the small space.

"You weren't a_voiding_ me, were you?"

"Of course not, Pond. What an idea." The Doctor cleared his throat and tried to look innocent. Why did she have to be so darn beautiful, even when she was annoyed with him? It made things so much harder.

Amy narrowed her eyes at him, obviously not persuaded.

"Say, have you been to the nursery lately? The TARDIS just added a mobile over the crib. Amazing piece of work; it's actually the entire solar system in perfect detail, and there's even a mini TARDIS on it!"

"Yes, I've already seen it," Amy responded, resisting her husband's attempts to steer in the direction of the dark blue-painted nursery, which the TARDIS had been building ever since she learned that a new Time Lord was on the way. "Can we pleeeaase go visit a planet now? I'm sick and tired of being inside this box day in and day out."

"Ah, no, not right now. Actually, I was thinking we could make biscuits or something, you know your favorite with the chocolate and the peanut butter on the inside?"

Usually Amy would have been swayed by this—she had swiftly transformed into a human vacuum over the past few months and the Doctor was amazed that none of it ended up on her otherwise thin frame—but the fact that she passed it up was a sign of her anxiety. "Your evil tricks won't work on me this time, Doctor. I'm going to go somewhere, even if I have to get there myself."

With that Amy bolted, heading in the direction of the control room.

"Wait, Amelia! Don't you dare!" The Doctor shouted, taking off after her. By the time he caught up with her she had already gotten her hands on the controls, which she knew very little about operating. They fought over the console for a little while, him with his arm around her middle in an effort to pull her away while trying to reverse whatever she had already done at the same time. The result wasn't pretty; the TARDIS shuddered and then took off, and the Doctor just managed to put on the stabilizers before they both landed in a heap on the floor.

"Amy Pond, whatever has gotten into you?" The Doctor asked irately, checking her vitals for irregularity.

"I'm sorry, I just can't take being cooped up in here for so long," Amy replied apologetically as he continued his thorough inspection. "Where are we, do ya think?"

The Doctor helped her to her feet before responding; these days, she was unable to do it on her own. "Dunno. You stay here—and I mean _right_ here."

Amy rolled her eyes but did as he said. The Doctor jumped down off the platform and slowly opened the door.

"Oops."

"What is it?" Her curiosity getting the better of her, Amy left her assigned position and came up behind the Doctor. The sight that accosted her was a shock.

"_Amy?_"

They had landed in front of a chapel, the grounds of which were currently crowded with a multitude of people in formal attire. And standing right in front of them was a dumbfounded Rory Williams. He was dressed in a tuxedo, and there was an equally confused young blonde in a voluminous white silk dress on his arm.

"Rory! Wow, this is…wow," Amy replied, never feeling more awkward in her life. She tried to ignore the awestruck stares of all the wedding guests surrounding them.

The Doctor looked at Amy and then at the tuxedoed man before them, his mouth slightly agape. "Oh. Oh my," he muttered, tugging at his bowtie uncomfortably. Not sure of what to do in this situation, he decided unwisely that a direct approach was best. "Rory Williams! Nice to see you again," he said cheerfully, hopping out of the TARDIS and kissing the air on either side of the young man's cheeks. His female friend looked aghast.

"Wait, this is the Doctor. You're the Doctor," Rory said, still in shock. He glanced at Amy who had stepped down next to the Doctor, noticing her condition for the first time now that she was no longer mostly hidden from view. Anger clouded his features. "You!" He spat at the Doctor, balling up his fists and getting ready to tackle him.

"Whoa there, Rory! Steady boy. No one hits my husband except me, okay?" Amy interrupted, moving in between them and placing her hands on Rory's chest. She realized how this appeared: that the Doctor had lured her away with him for the sole purpose of taking advantage of her. Rory was only trying to protect her honor.

Rory did a double take. "_Husband?_"

"Yeah, and he was that before this," Amy replied, resting the hand that bore her ring tattoo on her belly.

"Um, Rory? Care to explain what's going on?"

Rory's lady friend had finally spoken. Everyone else was so surprised to hear her lilting voice that they all turned to look at her.

Rory did his best to regain his composure. "Lorelei, this is Amy, my…best friend growing up. And her husband, apparently."

Amy surveyed the girl suspiciously. It wasn't that she was jealous, although she did have to right to be a little picky, considering she was the one who had told Rory to settle down with someone else. No, there was just something about her that she couldn't put her finger on. She was surprisingly comely, with her smooth, fair blond hair, wide blue eyes, and full lips. Not quite what Amy had expected her ex-fiancé to go for.

"Hallo," Amy said, shaking Lorelei's hand heartily. The woman smiled awkwardly. Maybe a random blue police box appearing out of nowhere and two people stepping out of it was a bit much for her.

"Amelia? Amy, is that you?"

"Uh oh." Amy's eyes widened when she saw who owned the voice. Aunt Sharon, dressed in a plain black taffeta dress and pointed shoes, was striding towards them, her hawkish gaze set on her niece. The girl grabbed the Doctor's arm and hurriedly hid her expanded middle behind his back.

"Who's that?" The Doctor asked her curiously.

"My aunt. This isn't good. This is sooo not good."

"Right. So, Rory, have you ever taken a ride in a TARDIS before? No, I wouldn't think so, it really is quite fab." Without waiting for an answer, the Doctor pushed Rory and his bride into his ship and shut the doors. "Yes, I know, bigger on the inside and all that," the alien said, noting the couple's flabbergasted expressions as their eyes darted all around the time machine. He threw a lever, and the TARDIS took off.

* * *

**I couldn't resist. I had to bring Rory back. The idea of him meeting the Doctor and finding out Amy was expecting was just too tempting lol**


	23. Lorelei

"This is…this is just…insane!" Rory said, turning on the spot in an effort to take it all in.

Amy smiled, recalling the first time she had ever entered the TARDIS. Her thoughts had been along the same lines. The Doctor grinned and met her gaze, and they relived the fond memory in each other's eyes.

"Are you sure this is safe? I mean, for…" Rory trailed off and looked pointedly at Amy.

"Perfectly!" The Doctor replied a little too quickly. He pulled a succession of levers, leaving the TARDIS suspended in a pocket of outer space.

"I don't believe you."

The Doctor glanced at the young man, beginning to regret bringing him onboard. "Amy, why don't you show Lorelei around?" He suggested.

"I think we're good right here," Amy replied as she leaned against the railing, sensing correctly that he was trying to get rid of her.

The Doctor came up next to her and brought his mouth close to his her ear. "Come on, Pond. It would be a good chance to get to know her, if you know what I mean," he whispered.

So he had noticed her suspicions about the woman, perhaps even had them himself. Amy considered this. "Fine, but don't kill each other." She cast Rory a warning look before taking Lorelei by the arm and guiding her up one of the staircases that led to the rest of the TARDIS. When they were out of sight, the Doctor turned to Rory, who looked mildly nervous being left alone with the alien from Amy's extraordinary stories.

"Alright, let's hear it," he said.

"I want to know what you've done to Amy," Rory said plainly, attempting to appear confident.

"It's a long story."

"Fine by me."

The Doctor sighed and rested his palms on the railing. He assessed the young man standing below the platform, wondering what Amy had once seen in that beaky nose and clumsy personality. "First off, you should know that she didn't exactly leave you for me. Truthfully it was my fault; I took her to find the Fountain of Youth and she inadvertently drank from it, leaving her immortal for eternity."

"Which was why she came to me in the middle of the night to tell me goodbye," Rory surmised numbly.

The Doctor nodded. "She felt terrible about it. I felt terrible. But there was nothing we could do."

"So you married her?"

"Yes, well, that happened later. And it was another accident. I suppose I must attract them," the Doctor mused. "We went to a planet with a culture very different from Earth, called Dulkis. You see, the Dulcians have a custom, known to them as a Bonding Waltz, that constitutes as a wedding ceremony. We thought it was just an innocent dance."

Rory was silent for a moment, processing this information. "What about the baby? Things like that don't just happen."

"No, they don't. I admit it, sometime during our travels I fell in love with her, and I didn't think. Never a good thing, not thinking, and believe you me it's not something I do often."

"Will it hurt her?"

The Doctor set his jaw and turned away, so Rory couldn't see the emotions raging across his face. "It's hard to say. My kind didn't often intermix with humans in the past, but there were some accounts. They didn't end well."

"So you're saying she might _die_?"

"Not at all. I have—reasons—to believe she'll pull through all right," the Doctor responded, remembering their last meeting with River. "But it won't be without a fight." When Rory didn't say anything, he added, "I promise you, Rory, I have been and will continue doing everything in my power to ensure her safety. It's the least I can do."

"Well just see that you do. She's something special, Amy Pond."

"That she is."

* * *

"So Lorelei, where are you from originally?" Amy asked the new Mrs. Williams as they walked the corridors together. She knew that it wasn't possible the woman had grown up in Leadworth; it was much too small of a town and she would have remembered someone like her.

"Um, Alberta, Canada."

"Really." The pause after Amy's question did not go unnoticed. "Long way from England, Canada."

"I came to Leadworth two years ago to live with my uncle after my parents died."

"Oh? Who's your uncle?"

"Noel Cavender."

"Hmm, doesn't ring a bell."

"He moved there too, just before I came. From London."

"I see." Amy opened the door to the library, enjoying how Lorelei's eyes lit up at the sight of so many shelves of books soaring up into the never-ending ceiling. "Mind the swimming pool, the TARDIS likes to budge it over a few inches on occasion, I think she's secretly hoping someone will fall in. Again. Now, how'd you and Rory meet?"

"I'm a receptionist in the hospital he works at," Lorelei responded distractedly. She glided over to a bookshelf, her white dress pooling out behind her, and ran her delicate fingers along the ancient spines. She really did have a striking profile. "You two were more than best friends once, weren't you?"

Amy was caught off guard by this. She hadn't expected a reversal of tactics. "How'd you know that?"

"Just kind of figured. He talks about you sometimes, and the way he acted towards your husband…it makes sense."

"Well, that was a long time ago, even longer for him than me. You don't have to worry." Amy sunk into an overstuffed leather armchair and tucked her legs under her.

Lorelei looked up from the thick volume she was flipping through and smiled, her teeth sparkling the brightest white Amy had ever seen. "Oh, I'm not. Anyone could see that you and that Doctor of yours are soul mates. He's the first man who hasn't…"

"Hasn't what?"

"He's just different." Lorelei apparently wasn't planning on finishing her original sentence.

Amy was just about to pursue the subject, but her son seemed to have other ideas.

"Are you okay?" The blonde slipped the book back into its place and was at Amy's side in a second, looking concerned.

"Just...dandy," Amy said through gritted teeth, wishing the baby had picked another time to be ornery. "He's a bit of a kicker, that's all."

Lorelei put a hand on her stomach, and to Amy's surprise the painful jabs subsided. The only other person who had the ability to calm him down was the Doctor.

"I love children. I've always wanted a few of my own," the woman said wistfully.

"I'm sure Rory will be perfectly okay with that," Amy remarked.

Lorelei smiled again, her eyes focused on something no one but she could see. When she came back to the present, she straightened up and walked towards the door.

"Could you perhaps tell me where to find the toilet?" She asked.

"Um, sure. Down the hall to the left."

"Thanks." Lorelei smiled and went to look for the room. The first door she tried turned out to be the nursery, and she gazed at it longingly before closing the door. When at last she found the bathroom, she locked herself inside, plugged up the antique basin-style sink, and filled it halfway full with water. She swirled the liquid around with the tips of her fingers, recited a few words under her breath, and waited.

The reflection of a face suddenly appeared in the basin, framed by a lion-like mane of blond curls.

"So she finally showed up, did she?" The man in the water said, his voice cold.

Lorelei nodded weakly. "Listen, I'm still not quite sure what you've got against her, but couldn't you just leave her be? She doesn't seem like much of a threat."

"Is that indecision I hear in your tone, Lorelei? Have you forgotten who rescued you from your dying planet, who brought you and that funny-looking human together in the first place? We had a bargain. I've kept my end, and now it's time for you to keep yours."

Lorelei blinked tears back, thinking of the defenseless girl just down the hall and the nursery she had seen only moments ago. She didn't want to send Amy and her unborn child into the hands of the coldhearted man staring at her from the water. But she also couldn't lose Rory and the chance at a new life with him, the hope of children.

"Alright, I'll bring her to you."

* * *

**Surprise surprise, Lorelei isn't the normal girl Amy told Rory to find lol.**

**Thanks for reading, please review :)  
**


	24. The Lion's Final Defeat

It had begun to drizzle by the time the TARDIS landed back in Leadworth. The time machine touched down in Rory's backyard, once again crushing a new batch of geraniums.

"Oh, that's just great. Lorelei planted those for me last spring," Rory complained when he saw the damage that had been done.

"Dreadfully sorry, chap. Old girl just has something against the poor things," the Doctor said, patting the wooden side of the blue box fondly. "Now, how about some tea? Sounds lovely right about now, don't you think?"

Without waiting for an answer, the Doctor strolled right up to the back door and let himself inside. Rory glanced at Amy.

"Yeah, sorry bout that. Nothing stands in the way of the Doctor and his teatime," Amy shrugged, following her husband.

Rory shook his head in disbelief, left with no choice but to go in after them. He and Lorelei found the Doctor in the kitchen, already putting a kettle on the stove and humming to himself. He located a china teapot in the cupboard and ran hot water over it. In an effort to be a good hostess, Lorelei retrieved the tea bags from the pantry and dropped a few of them into the waiting teapot.

Minutes later the Doctor, Amy, Rory, and Lorelei were all sitting around the small, circular breakfast table, drinking steaming cups of Earl of Grey. The only sound that could be heard was the ticking of the grandfather clock in the hall.

"So has Leadworth changed any since I left?" Amy asked in an effort to break the stillness.

"Not really. There is a new string of shops that just came in near the village square. The older villagers aren't too fond of them, though. Think they're too modern or something," Rory replied, stirring his tea absentmindedly.

It was then that the Doctor had an idea. What better place to keep Amy away from the dangers of the universe than boring old Leadworth? "Shops, eh? Wouldn't you like to visit them, Amy?"

Amy glanced sideways at him, one eyebrow raised. "Not particularly."

"How about a girl's day out, just the two of us? It could be fun," Lorelei suggested.

"That sounds brilliant. You could go as soon as the rain lets up," the Doctor said, rubbing his hands together.

Amy didn't seem altogether pleased with this. But there was a small part of her that slightly missed her old home, and Lorelei did look rather eager. "What are you two fellas gonna do while we're gone?" She asked flatly.

"Oh, we'll be fine. We could watch some football and eat crisps. That is what normal blokes do, right? Yes, I think so," said the Doctor excitedly.

Rory didn't look too thrilled about guy bonding time with someone like the Doctor, or about his wife spending part of the day with his ex, but the matter was basically already settled. "Right, okay. We'll try it."

* * *

Before Amy left, the Doctor pulled her into a hug. "Be a good girl now. I'm sure Rory wants Lorelei back all in one piece," he said in her ear, a touch of humor in his voice. He placed something in her palm and closed her fingers over it. "I want you to use this to contact me if you need to."

Amy opened up her hand to reveal a communicator earpiece. She nodded and slipped it into the pocket of her sweatshirt, then planted a lingering kiss on his lips. Rory looked away.

The drizzle came to a halt sometime in the afternoon, and the two women left the house together en route to the village square.

"Hope they'll be okay. Rory gets a little crazy when it comes to football," Lorelei commented.

Amy drew her attention away from the mud squelching around her trainers and looked at the woman in surprise. "You're worried about Rory? I'm a little more concerned about the Doctor. He's a bit, erm…"

Lorelei laughed. "Yeah, I know. He has his quirks too."

Amy couldn't help but snort. Maybe this excursion wasn't going to be so bad after all.

Leadworth was still the same sleepy town that it had always been. Clouds hung low over the stone buildings and everything was wet and muddy, adding to the dreariness. The post office loomed over them at one point, although it was shut as usual. Amy shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. It wasn't exactly freezing outside, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

They had just reached the square when Lorelei grabbed Amy's arm and dragged her down a sort of alley between two shops.

"Oi, what are you doing?" Amy asked, trying to shake off the blonde's death grip.

"Listen to me, Amelia Pond. It's not safe here; you're not safe here. Take the Doctor with you and leave. Please," Lorelei implored, her eyes brimming with urgency and fear.

"I don't understand," Amy replied. Rory's new wife was starting to scare her a little.

"There's no time to explain. He's coming for you right now."

"Who is?"

"Leaving so soon, beautiful?"

Amy froze, recognizing the pitiless voice in a heartbeat. Slowly she turned to find Leonard Saxon, looking whole and hale despite the fact he was supposed to be dead in a starship explosion, standing in the fog of the alleyway. A leering grin graced his all too-familiar features.

"Well well, what's this? Lorelei dear, how careless of you not to mention such a tantalizing little detail," Leonard remarked, suddenly noticing Amy's distended midsection. "The Doctor just couldn't keep his hands off you, could he?"

Lorelei tensed, her willowy frame all that was standing in the way of the Master's son and the Doctor's family. "Please don't do this, Mr. Saxon," she pleaded.

Leonard made a tsking noise. "Sirens, honestly. Your breed really is much too soft when it comes to offspring. I should have considered that before bringing you to Earth."

Amy's gaze returned to Lorelei. "I knew it. I knew something was different about you." She wondered if sirens from space were anything like their counterparts on Earth. If so, it would explain why the woman was so beautiful, and what she had been saying about the Doctor when she cut herself off. The sirens of legend had men practically slobbering over them left and right, whilst the Doctor had never given her more than a curious glance. Despite the precarious situation they were in, Amy couldn't help feeling warm inside.

"I made a horrible mistake, Amy. I didn't mean for this to happen. He made a deal with me; the life I dreamed of in exchange for the human girl who lived in a flying blue box. It seemed fair enough at the time," Lorelei said unevenly.

"You just had to go and nearly ruin everything, didn't you?" Leonard strode up to the siren and struck a blow across her face. She crumpled to the ground, clutching her cheek in pain, a welt forming on the perfect skin.

Amy tried to back away towards the open street only a few yards to her right, but Leonard caught her by the sleeve.

"Where do you think you're going, gorgeous? I've only just gotten you back," Leonard said, his face mere inches from hers.

Amy glared at him. "You'd think you woulda learned your lesson the first time," she snapped.

Leonard's eyes glittered darkly, and he released her so forcefully her back hit the brick wall and she slid down to its base. She fumbled for the earpiece in her pocket, steeling herself for more abuse, but it didn't come. Someone breezed past her, and she looked up in relief to see the Doctor standing over her, his hands clenched at his sides.

"I wouldn't touch her again if I were you," the Time Lord said threateningly. Rory skittered into the alley behind him, shocked by the scene unfolding before his eyes.

"No, I see you've done enough of that already," Leonard commented with a sly smirk.

"I'm warning you, Saxon." The Doctor took a step forward to prove his point.

"And I'm warning you, Doctor." In a flash, the Master's son had extracted a compact pistol with a long, narrow barrel from his suit jacket. "Do you know what this is? Extraordinary little devices, ray guns. Complete and absolute disintegration. Know what that means? No second chances. No regenerations. Just poof! And no more Doctor."

"No!" Amy gasped, her heart seizing up in her chest.

"Quite amazing, how it occurred to you that Amy might one day come back to visit her hometown. And using a siren as your lackey to top it off." The Doctor was unsettlingly calm, as if this was just a normal conversation and the object of his impending doom wasn't staring him in the face. "Although you seemed to have forgotten something. Something rather important, actually."

"Bluffing won't save your life, Doctor," Leonard sneered, his self-confidence blinding him.

"Who said I was bluffing? And please don't interrupt me, it's not polite. As I was saying, you seemed to have forgotten why sirens are so feared by men from every corner of the cosmos, why they will try to avoid falling under their spell at all costs."

Leonard's eyes widened and he started to move away, but he was too late. In an instant Lorelei had her arm locked around his neck, and although he clawed at her skin it was like trying to unbend iron. It wasn't long before his eyes rolled back into his head and his body went limp. The siren released him, and she stood over him, her breathing heavy.

"Is he…is he dead?" Amy questioned.

"No, just unconscious. Although she could have easily killed him if she wanted to," the Doctor said, feeling the young man's pulse.

Rory gulped.

The Doctor removed the ray gun from his foe's hand and ran a forefinger along its long barrel, regret shining in his wise blue eyes. "Unfortunately, we can't leave him here. Even if he was close to death, I'm sure he has the power to regenerate, and without a doubt he'll be back again."

The Time Lord trained the weapon on the young man before him, and very gradually he pulled back the trigger. There was a hissing noise, and the next second Leonard Saxon was no more, the vapors rising from the spot where he once lay dissipating into the mist.

The pistol fell to the ground, clattering on the cobblestones.

"Hey, it's okay. It's alright," Amy said consolingly, standing up and wrapping her arms around her husband, her cheek resting on his shoulder and her belly pressing into his back. He placed his hands over hers, stroking the familiar skin.

Rory and Lorelei, on the other hand, stood a few feet apart, neither of them entirely sure what to do.

"So. You're an alien too," Rory said, clearing his throat.

"Yes."

"And Amy could have died thanks to you."

Lorelei studied her feet guiltily. "I didn't know he wanted to kill her. You have no idea how sorry I am."

"In her defense, she was never really aware of everything that was going on. Leonard Saxon knew that, if she did, she wouldn't have gone along with it. And she did save us all in the end," the Doctor spoke up.

"It doesn't matter," Rory said, his voice hard.

"Rory." Amy let go of the Doctor and went over to her friend, pulling him aside. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but give her another chance. She may have nearly turned me over to Leonard, but she is also the reason I'm still alive. I mean, sure, she belongs to an alien race known for luring men to their deaths and all, but she's not like them. She loves you, and you love her."

"You told me to find someone normal," Rory responded weakly, his eyes downcast.

"No, I believe I told you to find a girl who deserves someone as special as you. One who wasn't half-mad and went chasing after flying blue police boxes. As far as I know, Lorelei fits that description."

Rory chuckled. "Guess our lives aren't destined to be normal, eh?"

Amy looked over at the Doctor and smiled. "Normalcy is overrated."

* * *

**Okay, so I hope you guys realize you're basically reading a novel here lol. 64 pages in Microsoft Office and counting :)**

**Lorelei's name was derived from a poem written by the German author Clemens Brentano in 1801 called**_ Zu Bacharach am Rheine._** It was about a beautiful woman named Lore Lay who was falsely accused of maliciously bewitching men and driving them to their ruin. The poem was altered later by Heinrich Heine, making Lore Lay into a sort of siren who lured men to their deaths on the rocks of the River Rhine. I thought it fit pretty well.**

**Oh, and if anyone reading this has seen Gilmore Girls, the Rory/Lorelei name thing is completely coincidental lol.**

**Please review :)**_  
_


	25. Complications in Inverness

The Doctor and Amy took their leave of the Williams' backyard that night, after promising the couple to visit again sometime in the future. Although they were still on rocky footing, Amy had no doubt that they would soon patch things up. Being a siren, Lorelei did have a certain influence after all.

"How did you know to come after me?" Amy asked her husband that night as they lay in bed. His arms were wrapped around her middle, making her feel secure and discouraging the baby from misbehaving. It was amazing how responsive he was to something as simple as his father's touch.

"Something just didn't seem right about Lorelei, as I'm sure you noticed. When she suggesting going shopping alone with you, I took a precaution and inserted a locator chip into the earpiece that I gave you. That football and crisps business was just something I made up on the spot. Not too shabby, eh?"

Amy grinned into her pillow. "Doctor, Lorelei said something once about you being different from other men she met," she told him, the thought suddenly occurring to her.

"A siren's power doesn't have any effect on hearts that already belong to someone else," the Doctor informed her, kissing the spot right behind her jawbone that sent a fire blazing through her veins.

Amy didn't need to respond. She fell asleep shortly after, the comforting tempo of his twin hearts beating against her back reassuring her that, at least for the moment, all was well with the universe.

* * *

"Amy! Amelia, come on. Wakey wakey!"

Amy groaned and flipped over. She opened her eyes to find the Doctor's nose practically touching hers.

"Doctor, can't you just let me go back to sleep? It's not my fault you run on only four hours," Amy huffed.

"Well I could, but then you'd miss out on my surprise." The Doctor bounded away to the wardrobe. When he came back, he threw something made out of copious amounts of green plaid material at her.

"What's this?" Amy asked, her voice muffled due to the fact her face was covered by a section of the material.

"A dress, of course. Now get up and put it on."

"Make me."

The Doctor sighed. "If you insist." He clambered onto the bed and started to unbutton her nightie.

"Doctor!" Amy pushed him off of her and pinned him to the mattress. "I'm a big girl now. I can dress myself, thank you very much."

"Well then get on with it. We need to be going."

"Or we could just stay here for a little while." Amy pressed her lips to his, her fingers tugging at the buttons on his own shirt.

"Enough stalling, Amelia," the Doctor reprimanded, reluctantly pulling away after a while. He straightened out his clothes and stood up.

"Spoilsport," Amy muttered, taking a little longer to follow him. As soon she was upright, the usual wave of nausea swept over her, and she closed her eyes and waited for it to subside. The Doctor was accustomed to this, and had the dress ready for her to slip on by the time she recovered.

"Where are we going?" The girl asked, glancing curiously at her reflection in the mirror. The dress was very old-fashioned, with an empire waist to allow for her bump. Its tartan pattern looked familiar, and she realized with a start that it looked like the one belonging to her family. Her blazing red hair, which had grown longer over the past months, tumbled becomingly over the square neckline.

"I told you it was a surprise," said the Doctor mysteriously, adjusting his bowtie. Amy just had time to register that he had exchanged his usual blue or red for one bearing the same tartan as her dress before he grabbed her hand and yanked her into the hall.

"Wow." Amy couldn't believe the sight that awaited her on the other side of the TARDIS doors. It was night once more—which felt odd considering she had just woken up—although the darkness was set ablaze by millions of lanterns strung out over a setup of booths. Some kind of gathering seemed to be in progress, and those in attendance swarmed between the booths, dressed in earth tones and tartan skirts and sashes. A merry flute was piping its melody into the air, accompanied by a fiddle, and in the distance Amy could hear the whine of bagpipes. Squat stone buildings with smoke curling up from their chimneys huddled close together not far off, looking at home in the sloping, heather-blanketed hills. A river snaked away from them, its waters still and silvery in the moonlight.

"Thought you might want to see Inverness in the seventeen hundreds," the Doctor said softly.

"We're in Scotland?" Amy was speechless. She hadn't seen her homeland since she was seven, especially not this version of it. Tears shone in her eyes as she whirled around and kissed his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered.

"It was nothing," the Doctor said. Although he still had his misgivings about letting her out of the TARDIS again, her joy made it worthwhile.

"You know what would make it better? If you had worn a kilt."

The Doctor paled. "Um, no, that wouldn't be good at all. I'm not Scottish, so, yeah."

"Well you made me wear a dress."

"Which you look stunning in."

"I'm sure you'd look pretty hot yourself in a kilt."

"Not going to happen."

"Chicken." Amy ruffled his hair teasingly.

"Just a little bit," said the Doctor, taking her by the hand and walking with her down to the festival. The booths they passed assailed them with all sorts of sights and smells, from freshly-baked pies to silver Celtic crosses. Amy pointed out everything to the Doctor, her face aglow with excitement.

"Oh look, dancers!" She announced, dragging the Doctor over to a stage where couples were performing a country reel while musicians played a lively tune. They moved quickly, the ladies' full skirts flaring out as they spun around the menfolk. Amy clapped along with the others watching from the sidelines, trying to ignore the dizzy feeling the swirling skirts and the jumpy movement of the fiddle bows were giving her.

Suddenly, Amy's attention was drawn away by someone on the other side of the dance floor. Someone with wheat-colored curls and bright red lipstick and a white jumpsuit that most definitely didn't fit in with the era.

"Amy, what's wrong?" The Doctor asked, noticing her distracted gaze.

Amy didn't answer him. She pushed through the crowd, intent on the woman, who was starting to move away. The Doctor followed her closely, confused by her actions. He hadn't seen what she had yet.

"River! River Song!"

The woman turned and glanced around at the crowd, surprise clear in her expression. She wasn't quite the same River they knew; this one was younger, probably just barely thirty years old. But there was no doubt that she was the mysterious time traveler the Doctor and his companion had encountered on so many occasions.

"How do you know my name?" River asked when she discovered the source of the voice, her eyes searching her for any sign of familiarity.

Amy realized with a jolt that this must be the meeting the older River had spoken of back in Ancient Greece. It was strange to be on the other side of the spectrum for once. She started to respond, but without warning the colors and lights and noises of the festival began to churn around her, giving her a sense of vertigo.

"AMY!"

The Doctor's voice seemed so distant, droned out by the pain pounding in her head. Amy felt his strong arms encircle her as her knees gave out, and vaguely heard River say something, although it was muffled and unintelligible to her. She could remember nothing after that.

* * *

**I was curious how old Alex Kingston, who plays River Song, was, so I looked it up on Wikipedia and was surprised to see that she's 47. I mean, you can tell she's older in the episodes, but I just wasn't expecting her to be 47. Probably because she's acting with characters who are a lot younger than her. So yeah, just an interesting fact there.  
**

**Anyway, thanks for reading, please review :)**


	26. Romana's Descendant

The Doctor didn't know what to do. Amy was lying in their bed, shivering and clutching the covers one moment, sweating and feverishly tossing them aside the next. She was running a temperature and was unresponsive whenever he tried to pull her out of it, aside from the whimpers of pain.

"Shh now, it's alright," River soothed. She wrapped a device much like the one she would eventually use in the wrecked Byzantium around Amy's index finger, checking her vitals. The readings she got from it weren't very positive. "She's getting worse."

"Why, though? What's causing this?" The Doctor asked running his hands through his hair fretfully and pacing the floor at the foot of the bed. He had let River into the TARDIS in hopes that she could help Amy, and she had spent surprisingly little time taking it all in, choosing to suppress her wonder for the time being in order to focus on the matter at hand. Obviously she was used to time travel already to some degree. "Is it a bug, perhaps?"

River shook her head. "No, not a bug." She looked up at the Doctor. "The child is yours, isn't it?"

"Yes."

River stood up and placed a tentative hand on the right side of the Doctor's chest. She moved it to the left, feeling the beat of his second heart. "That explains it, then."

The Doctor's eyes locked on River's, searching for clarification in them. "Explains what?"

"She has a nutrient deficiency, and right now her body's trying to cope with it. The child's been draining more than its fair share from her, which makes sense considering it's not entirely human like she is."

"Why doesn't any of this bother you?"

River hesitated for a second before answering. "Because I'm not entirely human either. My great great great great grandmother was from the same race as you."

"You're a Time Lady?" Needless to say the Doctor was shocked by this bit of news.

"Not exactly. The bloodline's been so intermixed with humanity that there's probably barely a trace left in my own veins. But tales of Gallifrey were passed down through my family."

"Your great great—et cetera—grandmother. Is she still alive?"

River sat down on the edge of the bed again, taking a damp cloth to Amy's burning forehead. "I wouldn't know. She disappeared long ago."

"Do you know her name?"

"Of course. Romana."

"Romana." The Doctor collapsed into the chair at his desk, his mind on another place, another time.

"You knew her, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. A very, very long time ago." A whimper from Amy snapped the Doctor back to the present. "Right, so, nutrient deficiency. I remember seeing some supplements in the medic bay."

"This thing's got a medic bay?" River was clearly impressed.

"Yes, and a million other rooms of varying usefulness. And uselessness, for that matter. Now if you'll excuse me for a moment…"

River shook her head as the Doctor went running off, seemingly to the medic bay. She had a feeling there was a lot more she didn't know about this strange man with his time machine, a contraption she had only heard tell of during her lifetime. But she was certain she'd figure it all out sooner or later, and it was admittedly a comfort to meet someone like the enigmatic woman she had descended from.

"There's something I don't understand, though. How do you know who I am?" River asked the Doctor later, watching him as he carefully shook the contents of several capsules into a cup of chamomile tea.

"Amy and I have met you a couple times—or rather we will meet you, in the future. A slightly older version of you," he responded, stirring the powder into the hot liquid until it was completely dissolved.

"Time travel. It never ceases to amaze me," River laughed. She helped the Doctor elevate Amy's head, propping pillows up behind it to keep it from lulling to the side.

"Amy, can you hear me?" He received no reply. The Time Lord rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, willing her to be able to listen through the fog of her fever. "Please, Amelia. You can beat this, I know you can. You have to."

At first it seemed his efforts were in vain, but then suddenly Amy's eyes fluttered open. She was having difficulty focusing on him, and she remained silent, but at least she was conscious.

"That's my girl." The Doctor brushed a ginger lock out of her face, feeling a small twinge of relief. "Listen to me, Amelia, because it's very important. All I need you to do is drink every last bit of this."

River handed him the teacup, and he lifted the brim to his wife's lips, tipping it slowly. Every gulp seemed to be an ordeal, and a few drips managed to escape down her chin, but the majority of the supplement-enriched liquid made it down her throat. When she was done, her eyelids drooped, and she slipped back into unconsciousness. The Doctor let her rest; it would take quite a few more doses for Amy's system to start repairing itself.

River sat in the chair, legs crossed, observing the two of them with interest. Their relationship enthralled her; she had always though Time Lords to be an indifferent race, considering how Romana had just up and left without even a goodbye. But here was this man, who shared the same origins as her otherworldly ancestor, defying what she had grown up believing. He was a kind man, a good man, seemingly incapable of leaving the human girl's side, every move he made echoing the love he held for her.

"So you know who I am, but I don't yet know you. What's your name?" River asked curiously.

"The Doctor."

"Funny moniker, 'the Doctor'. Then again, Romana's full name was Romanadvoratrelundar, so I guess I shouldn't be talking."

"Short and simple is usually the best way to go," The Doctor responded.

"You know, the story goes that Romana had a ship similar to this. Although I don't think it looked like a police box on the outside."

"Yeah, about that. There was a bit of an issue with the chameleon circuit awhile back. She's been stuck in this form ever since, but she's still a Type 40 at heart."

"Beats vortex manipulators any day. This thing gives me headaches." River inspected the device around her wrist disapprovingly. "Gets me where I need to go, though. I guess time traveling's in the blood." The woman smiled. "Tell me, Doctor, are there other Time Lords out there?"

The Doctor dropped his gaze, idly massaging Amy's palm. "I'm sorry, but no. Some very bad stuff happened a while ago, not very pretty at all, and unfortunately Gallifrey and its inhabitants are no more."

River looked slightly crestfallen. "Oh. It did strike me as a little unusual that you're the first one I've ever met. It's too bad."

"Too bad indeed." It was then that the Doctor had an idea. "Why don't you stay with us?"

"Really?" Although the suggestion seemed to surprise her, it was also evidently appealing from the way her face lit up.

"Why not? Besides, I'm sure Amy could use some female company."

"Alright, Doctor. I'll take you up on that," River told him with a grin.

* * *

Amy didn't understand what was wrong with her. It was like trying to wake up from a nap but being unable to do so. Darkness swirled around her vision, and her limbs felt like they were being weighed down with sandbags. She was aware of some things: that she was lying in a bed, and that the Doctor was nearby, holding her most of the time, and making her drink something bitter over and over again. Despite her fever, his body heat didn't bother her, and occasionally he'd turn her on her side and massage her back, whispering words of comfort and sometimes complete nonsense in her ear in an attempt to keep her in the present world. She loved it when he rubbed her neck and the base of her skull, for it eased the agonizing headache that refused to leave her. And whenever the baby kicked so much that she involuntarily cried out in pain, he'd rest his head on her stomach and murmur to it until it settled down. A great deal of his mumblings was in a language she couldn't comprehend, a beautiful tongue that she presumed to be Gallifreyan. Once and a while she heard River's voice, or caught a glimpse of her wildly curly hair at the edge of her sight, and wished she was well enough to talk to her. Although River wasn't absolutely sure if the ailing girl could hear her or not, the newest addition to the TARDIS crew took to rambling to Amy about her life, about the smidge of Time Lord in her family tree and all the adventures she had been on thus far, including her archaeological discoveries.

At long last, the day came when Amy woke up, fully conscious and free of her aches. She was also very, very hungry.

Rolling over, the ginger saw that the Doctor was passed out next to her, sleeping peacefully. His tweed jacket and bowtie were missing, his suspenders unsnapped, and his shirt and hair an unruly mess, but Amy thought he had never looked more perfect.

"Doctor. Doctor!"

The Doctor muttered something and stirred, but didn't wake. Not that this put Amy off any. She whacked his shoulder as politely as possible.

"Oi!" The Time Lord exclaimed, sleep still muddling his brain as he propped himself up on his elbow and rubbed his eyes. The first thing he saw was Amy's spirited green eyes staring up at him.

"Doctor, I need food. Now," she said plainly.

There was a pause, in which the Doctor figured out that he wasn't dreaming and that his wife was truly and actually speaking to him for the first time in days.

"Amy!" He shouted gleefully, kissing her as hard and long as he could before she needed to breathe again. "I thought I'd lost you for a moment there."

"Missed you too," she said with a smile, tracing a finger down the bridge of his nose and across his cheek. "Now about that food…"

"Alright alright, I got the message." The Doctor chuckled and jumped to his feet, racing like a madman to the kitchen to gather up the oddest assortment of food, which ranged from fish fingers to pudding. Amy ate everything he brought back, her appetite evidently having returned in full. The Doctor smiled affectionately and wiped her mouth off with a handkerchief when she had finished.

"So where's River?" Amy asked, settling back into the plethora of pillows.

"Exploring the TARDIS. I invited her to travel with us, if you don't mind."

"There isn't a chance you might…end up fancying her more than me, is there?" Amy questioned uncertainly.

The Doctor was bemused. "Amy, what gives you that idea?"

"Oh, I don't know. It's just that's she's younger now, and you two have always been friendly. It's a fair concern."

The Doctor rested his forehead against hers and smiled. "Amelia Pond, you should know by now that there is no woman in this universe with the power to draw me away from you."

"Good answer."

* * *

**Romana was a Time Lady who traveled with the Doctor a little during the episodes from the seventies. I thought it would be interesting if River was somehow related to her.**

**Thanks for reading, please review :)  
**


	27. Novus Lux

River seemed to fit right into TARDIS life. She got along fine with the Doctor and was able to quell Amy's moods on occasion, which was quite an accomplishment. Being a woman herself, she understood what someone who was expecting needed better than the Doctor did.

By Amy's sixth month of pregnancy, however, things were starting to get a little strained. The baby was still depleting her body of the things she herself needed to stay alive, which meant endless bitter-tasting supplemental teas. His size and weight were also taking their toll on her, and no matter what position she slept in at night she was never comfortable. Sleep-depravation made her already-present irritability more pronounced, and the Doctor and River were the only outlets for it.

"I say we take her somewhere, get her mind off of it," River suggested to the Doctor after Amy had spent a few hours crying over the unexpected death of Barnaby the radioactive fish. At the moment of their conversation she was napping, having sobbed herself to sleep.

The Doctor toyed with a control on the console that looked suspiciously like a computer game joystick, thinking. "But what if she gets hurt? I promised myself—and someone else—not to let anything happen to her."

"And how's that been working out for you?" When the Doctor didn't answer, River continued. "You can't control everything, Doctor; it's impossible. Now come on."

"No."

"Oh for goodness sake, the girl just spent two hours weeping over a poor creature that should have died ages ago. Honestly, what with the way you treat pets I'm surprised Amy's still alive."

"I already told you it was an accident. Personally I see nothing wrong with a glowing fish. It made his life a heck of a lot more interesting."

"Doctor…"

The Time Lord sighed. "Alright, fine. We'll take a bit of a holiday from the TARDIS. But if anything does happen I'll never forgive myself."

* * *

The Doctor decided on Novus Lux, a planet in the Andromeda Galaxy renowned for its beauty and prosperity.

"Lovely planet, Novus Lux. Hasn't been a war there for some time, and the inhabitants are quite hospitable," the Doctor told River as he landed the TARDIS. Once she was down, he scampered off to fetch Amy, who he found eating his secret stash of death by chocolate ice cream straight out of the container with a spoon.

"Amy! I thought we agreed that was off limits!" Said the Doctor. He had a certain soft spot for the dessert, and after years of eating it he had at last exhausted the TARDIS's supply.

"Well I got hungry for chocolate of the frozen variety," Amy responded, looking like a kid who had just been caught with her hand in the biscuit jar.

"Doctor, there's something—what's going on here?" River had just walked in on the couple fighting over the ice cream carton, which was getting badly battered as a result.

While she was distracted, the Doctor managed to wrestle the ice cream away from Amy and shut it in the freezer. Amy crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. "Nothing. You were saying?" He asked.

"Are you sure we're on Novus Lux?" River questioned.

"Sure I'm sure. Why?"

"Come and have a look."

Perplexed, the Doctor followed the woman to the control room, Amy close behind. When they reached the TARDIS doors, River threw them open to reveal a land that looked nothing like what they had been expecting. All that could be seen was soot-coated crags and a thick, rolling gray fog stretching for miles.

"Impossible," the Doctor muttered, stepping out of the time machine. He crouched down to examine the ground, sifting the soot in between his fingers before pulling out the sonic screwdriver and analyzing it.

"So did we land on a different planet by accident?" Amy asked , placing her hands on her lower back and stretching.

"No, this is Novus Lux, without a doubt. Something terrible occurred here." The Doctor walked a distance away, kicking the soot about and scanning everything with his sonic. River and Amy were right behind him. They crested a hill and stopped in their tracks.

"Oh my," River remarked quietly.

Below them in the valley were the remnants of a once-great city, burned past recognition. The blackened skeletons of vast buildings and towers stood like forgotten ghosts, swathed in a shroud of mist.

"Doctor, what happened?" Amy drew closer to her husband, the deadness of the land and mournful silence that filled the air making her feel ill at ease.

"Don't know. This isn't right at all though, I can tell you that." The Doctor jumped down off the rocky overhang and approached the nearest ruin, going over it with the sonic. "A massive explosion, or several of equal disastrous proportions. Everything was razed to the ground."

"So a war then. The Lucians were attacked," River surmised.

"Perhaps, but by who, or what? And where'd they all go?"

"Um, Doctor?"

"Not now, Amy. Brain thinking."

"Doctor!"

"River, what did I just say?" The Doctor turned to look at them, and his hearts nearly stopped beating. Amy was doubled over in pain, clutching her side and gasping.

"No no no!" The Doctor rushed over to her, catching her as she sank to the ground. "Not here. Anywhere but here."

"We have to get her back to the TARDIS," River decided authoritatively.

Without warning, something that sounded much like machine gun fire ricocheted through the air.

"RUN!" Shouted the Doctor, pushing Amy and River ahead of him. Their intention was to head back to the TARDIS, but the soot they kicked up began to fuse with the fog, messing with their sense of direction.

"This way, hurry!"

A group of people, or at least beings that looked like people, were suddenly all around them, guiding them away from the gunfire. Their skin was black as ebony and about the same smoothness, and men and women alike had their silver hair in dreadlocks. The close-fitting tunics and pants that they wore were as dark as their skin and made out of some sort of seamless fabric, belted at the waist to eliminate loose material that might get in the way.

It was clear that the Lucians knew the terrain well, for they moved quickly and with purpose. Eventually they reached a tunnel dug into the side of a knoll and plunged into it. The passage led straight through the knoll, opening out onto a forest on the other side. It was an eerie woodland, for the enormous mossy trees soared so high that their canopy was lost in the mists that cloaked them, and they grew so close together the chance of any light shining through was unlikely. The most amazing thing about the forest, however, was that there were huts built in the sturdy branches. Those who lived in them had come out to catch a glimpse of the newcomers, standing on makeshift balconies and bridges constructed of wood.

"Fear not. You're safe here," one of the male Lucians announced.

The Doctor whistled, momentarily forgetting the direness of the situation. "An entire civilization living in the arms of the trees," he muttered, impressed.

Right then Amy cried out as another agonizing contraction assailed her, and the Time Lord put the huts out of his mind.

"Not to be a bother or anything, but do you have some sort of hospital here?" He asked, addressing the Lucian native who had spoken.

The man turned his owl-like orange eyes on Amy, who was clinging to the Doctor's jacket like it was a lifeline. "Marjani, go fetch Saada. Tell her it's urgent," he told a woman in the group. The woman nodded obediently and ran off. She returned moments later with an older woman who, despite her advanced years, walked with the posture of someone much younger. Glass beads adorned her dreadlocks and hung down over her flowing white robes, which contrasted significantly with the attire of the others. Upon seeing Amy, the woman swooped down on her and led her away, the Doctor and River not far behind.

* * *

"She's going to be fine," River commented, watching her friend anxiously pace in front of her. They were on a balcony of one of the tree huts, which served as the Lucians' infirmary, and had been there for the past few hours.

"You don't know that." The Doctor's hair was sticking up even more than usual from him running his hands through it so many times, and it was obvious from his manner how scared he was. Not long before he had been kicked out of the infirmary by Amy, who had been hollering like a madwoman and swearing that he wasn't allowed to touch her ever again. River had told him that it was only the pain talking, but it still hurt him. He was angry at himself for getting her pregnant, for continually putting her life in danger nearly every second they were together.

Suddenly the door opened, and Saada appeared. "Sir, she's asking for you," she informed him. Needing no further encouragement, the Doctor brushed past the midwife and into the room.

Amy was lying on a cot, her eyes half-closed and her chest heaving. Her beautiful ginger hair was fanned out over the pillow and drenched with sweat, as was her forehead. When she saw him, however, she managed to tweak the corner of her mouth into a smile.

"My gorgeous, brilliant Amelia Pond," said the Doctor, taking her hand and resting his forehead against hers without caring one bit about the sweat.

"I can't…I can't…" Her voice was broken, devoid of the fiery spirit it usually possessed.

"Yes you can, Amy. You've faced Prisoner Zero, Daleks, and Weeping Angels before and survived them all. You can handle this."

"I'd rather take on…any of them again instead of…this."

The Doctor smiled, pushing back her hair and kissing her forehead. "You know that's not true. Please, Pond. Just concentrate."

* * *

An hour later, just as dusk began to settle over the forest, the wail of new lungs testing the oxygen erupted through the treetops. River, who had been nodding off on the balcony's wooden bench, smiled.

"Welcome, little Time Lord," she said softly.

* * *

**Novus Lux means 'new light' in Latin. If you didn't already know the Andromeda Galaxy is a real star system and neighbors the Milky Way, although Novus Lux was completely invented. The names of the Lucians are actually Swahili. Mixing it up a little :)**

**Thanks for reading, reviews rock :)  
**


	28. Betoto's Tale

The Doctor stared at the tiny creature in his arms, mesmerized by him. He had wispy brown hair and Amy's bright, emerald-green eyes, which had opened surprisingly fast upon his entrance into the world and were full of curiosity. His cheeks were rosy and soft as velvet, his cupid-like lips bright red. He wrapped his plump little hands around his father's finger and squeezed it tightly. The Doctor couldn't wipe the grin off his face even for a second, unable to believe this perfect, miniature wonder had come from him.

"Well look at you, you handsome thing," River exclaimed, stroking the baby's cheek. She looked up at the Doctor. "How's Amy?"

The Doctor's smile faded. "She passed out before she even got to see this little fellow. Saada said the effort took all of her energy, and it might be a day or more before she reawakes, even longer before she's up and about."

"Oh. At least she's alright, though. She's got willpower, that one."

"I hope it's enough." The Doctor sighed and sank wearily onto the bench, resting his head against the wood wall of the hut behind him. A thousand 'what ifs' were running through his mind, and he wished he could just stop thinking altogether for once.

"Can I hold him?" River asked, her wide blue eyes pleading. The Doctor complied, and she took him carefully, making sure to support his head. "Does he have a name?"

The Doctor shook his head. "We discussed it, but we never settled on anything. Neither of us figured he would come so soon." He glanced over at the nameless Time Lord, glad the child had his wife's eyes. He loved her eyes. "I want Amy to decide, whenever she comes to."

River spent several minutes cooing over the baby, laughing when he wrapped his miniscule fingers in her wild curls and not minding when he tugged on them.

"Would you like to be his godmother?" The Doctor asked suddenly, remembering what the future version of her had told them.

River looked at him in surprise. "Are you sure? I haven't exactly known you for that long."

"Positive. Anyway, it seems like I've known you for eons. You're more like Romana than you know. In the best sense, of course."

"Thank you. For everything."

"It's nothing. After all, what is family for?"

River smiled, liking the sound of the word. All of her natural family had long since abandoned her, and it was good to be a part of one again.

"Sir?"

The Doctor jumped to his feet. The male Lucian who had led the group to safety was standing in front of him. He was tall, at least six foot four, and had many scars patterning his dark skin. It was apparent that he was some sort of warrior. "Yes?"

"I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Prince Betoto Kiongozi, leader of the Lucian peoples."

The Doctor was mildly taken aback by this. The man didn't dress or act like any prince he had ever met. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. And by the way, love the name," he said, shaking the prince's hand, who found the gesture strange but said nothing of it. "I'm the Doctor, and this here's River Song."

Betoto nodded politely. "I wanted to welcome you to Novus Lux. Although I'm sorry to say it isn't much to be welcomed to anymore."

"Tell me, Betoto. What happened here?" The Doctor questioned curiously.

Betoto sighed, pain and tiredness showing themselves in his intelligent eyes. "So much, my friend. Come and join me for a meal, and I will tell you all about it."

The Doctor glanced at the infirmary's door, beyond which Amy lay motionless. "I don't mean to offend you, but I'd rather not leave my wife, if it's just as well."

"I understand completely. I was the same with my wife, when she was alive." Betoto smiled wanly. "But surely you would not oppose food being brought to you here. I'm sure you and your friend could use it."

"That would be most appreciated, thank you," the Doctor told him.

* * *

Moments later they were sitting around a brass brazier, which warmed them as they ate the creamy stew Betoto's cook had prepared for them. It was Lucian custom to sit cross-legged on the ground when one ate, and so the visitors did.

"Two years ago, Novus Lux was a prosperous planet, advancing quickly beyond what our ancestors had imagined we could accomplish. My ascent to the throne was quite unexpected; my father died of suspicious circumstances. There were those who opposed my rule; people who I believe had a hand in my father's passing. At the head of the opposition was my younger brother, Kondo. He swayed a portion of the people to follow him and rebel."

"So a civil war broke out," the Doctor gathered, setting aside his empty bowl.

"Exactly. Kondo was always combative, and I have to admit he is a better warrior than me. But only because he shows no mercy; his actions are guided by his lust for victory."

"Talk about tough love," River commented. The child had fallen asleep in her arms, and she gently laid him in her lap in order to eat. The feeling of his twin hearts beating delicately against her leg was a comfort.

"Yes, I am afraid Kondo was quite envious of my position. He attacked us when we were least expecting it, burning buildings left and right and killing anyone who got in his way. Those who were loyal to me rallied to my side, and we escaped to these forests."

"What keeps him away, though? Someone bent on destruction would have no problem with something as trivial as a bunch of trees," the Doctor remarked.

"Bloodthirstiness is not Kondo's only flaw. He is also overwhelmingly superstitious. According to myth, these forests are supposed to be inhabited by evil spirits and the ghosts of ancestors long dead. His fear prevents him from setting foot here."

"Doesn't put you out, though, does it," the Doctor said.

"I believe the ancestors watch over us from above. There is no need to fear those who have passed on."

"Wisely said, Betoto."

Betoto shrugged. "My father taught me well. Whatever I know I owe to him." Betoto motioned to the cook, and the man came and removed the stew pot, replacing it with a platter of what looked like sugar-coated dumplings. "So, Doctor. Where do you hail from?"

"You probably don't know it, but Gallifrey."

Betoto retracted his hand from the pastry platter and stared at his guest in astonishment.

"I never thought I'd see the day when I met a Lord of Time," the prince said.

"You know of us?"

"Yes. All Lucian nobility is taught extensively on the history of the universe. But we also learned that Gallifrey burned, taking your kind with it."

"It did, and they did too. Just me now, and the boy," the Doctor told him solemnly. He looked over at his slumbering son, still not used to the idea that he was no longer the last of his kind.

"I am sorry. I did not wish to reawaken raw memories."

"It's all right. It's in the past now."

"So are you from Gallifrey as well?" The Lucian asked River.

"Oh no. I've only got a smidge from a great great great great grandmother," River spoke up, holding up her fingers to indicate exactly how little 'a smidge' was.

"And my wife's human. Well, eternal human, but whatever. It's a bit of a long story."

Betoto's eyebrows shot up. "Doctor, I would have to say you all are the most interesting guests I've had in my lifetime," he said with a laugh.

"Much obliged, Your Majesty."

* * *

The next day passed uneventfully. The Doctor spent most of it lying next to the unconscious Amy, despite the fact that the cot wasn't exactly designed for two people. He wrapped his arm around her and laid his head on her chest, listening to her weak heartbeat and willing it to keep pounding. It reminded him how fragile she was, relying on that single heart to live.

"You were brilliant, Amelia. Not that I expected anything less, no, not from the girl who waited. He's perfect, our son. He has your eyes, did I mention that? Greener than grass. And he smells funny, but in a good way, all new and soft. Well, I suppose soft doesn't really have a smell although it seems like it should…" the Doctor was rambling, but he couldn't help it. Anything to keep him sane, to keep the 'what ifs' at bay. He squeezed his eyes shut, pushing back the tears that had begun to stain her shirt, and wished on every star in the cosmos for her to pull through.

The Time Lord almost didn't notice when long, thin fingers reached up and raked through his hair. "Hey, it's okay. And just so you know, softness most definitely has a smell."

His eyes flew open at the sound of the Scottish-flavored voice. It was frail, granted, barely more than a whisper, but the fact that it was there was all that mattered.

"Amy." Relieved, the Doctor locked her into a kiss, his fingers tangling in her hair. After a while he felt her beginning to go limp and forced himself to stop before she ended up going under again. "How do you feel?" He asked anxiously.

"Like I've just been steamrollered," Amy half-joked. Every inch of her body ached, and she had never felt so lethargic in her life. All she wanted to do was sleep for days on end, but she decided it could wait.

"I'm sorry, Amy. I'm so sorry."

"Oi, none of that." Amy tenderly wiped a stray tear away from his cheek, a smile painting her lips.

All of a sudden a cry pierced the air, and River burst through the door of the infirmary, the newborn clasped in her arms. Her hair was even more frazzled than usual, and it was clear she had been trying to get him to quiet down for some time.

"I think he's hungry. Nothing else seems to be working," the woman announced.

"Did you give him milk?" The Doctor asked, taking the bundle from her. Even in his father's arms he continued to scream and beat the air with his tiny fists, his face turning a color somewhere in between beet-red and purple.

"That's why I came here. I was hoping Amy would be awake by now."

Both the Doctor and River looked at the girl, who paled. "Whoa, hold on. I'm not ready for this," she said once she caught River's implication.

"Amy, nothing else is safe for him to drink at this stage," the Doctor told her.

"I think I'll just pop down to the mead hall for breakfast, if you two don't mind," River said, seizing the moment to escape. Neither the Doctor nor Amy even took notice.

Amy crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly. "There's gotta be something, yeah? I mean, quite a few human mothers use formulas instead."

"And where do you think we're supposed to find the equivalent of a formula on Novus Lux?" The Doctor asked, amused at the suggestion. "Come on, it can't be worse than childbirth."

"Not that you'd know. You haven't had to endure either," Amy retorted, although she didn't object when he placed her son in her arms. As soon as he made contact with her he stopped wailing and started nuzzling, searching for what he needed. His mother just stared at him, fascination slowly overcoming her nervousness. "What a wee thing," she murmured, hesitating for a moment before stroking his soft hair.

The Doctor draped himself beside his wife and kissed the top of her head, offering her emotional support. Steeling herself, she went ahead and got it over with.

It was strange at first, and she gasped a little at the feeling, but then she relaxed. She looked up at the Doctor, her eyes glowing with that maternal flame that he knew now could never be quenched.

"That's my girl," he said lovingly, kissing the tip of her nose.

"Have you named him yet?" Amy asked, tucking her head under his chin.

"I wouldn't dare, not without you to consult first. I'm rather fond of this particular face and would like to keep it, thanks."

"Oh shut up."

The Doctor chuckled. "So what would you like to call him?"

Amy thought about this, looking down at her son contemplatively. "I've always like Ian."

"Then Ian it is."

* * *

**Name explanation time- Betoto, besides being a really cool word to roll off your tongue over and over again, is a Swahili name meaning 'owl'. Kiongozi is a word from their language meaning 'leader'. Kondo means 'battle'.**

**Yay, the little Time Lord finally has a name, and a good Scottish one at that. Took them long enough, didn't it?  
**

**Hope the fluff was excessive enough for those who requested it. If not there is always a chance of more in later chapters :)**

**Thanks for reading, please review and all that good stuff.  
**


	29. Traitors in Our Midst

Amy slept deeply for the next several days, her body gradually recovering. She was finding it difficult to successfully get the rest she needed, however, what with Ian's ravaging appetite. No sooner had she drifted off than she would feel his greedy lips nibbling at her skin, even if he had just eaten only an hour before. The Doctor told her it was perfectly normal for a Time Lord child, to which she grumbled that humans weren't quite so demanding.

"This is what I get for chasing after madmen in flying boxes," Amy muttered, much to the amusement of her husband, who was watching over her as usual. Despite her complaints, the girl couldn't help loving the warm, tiny bundle that was so dependent on her for survival, with his milky burps and general cuteness. She didn't mind one bit that half of his DNA was alien, or how much pain it took to bring him into the universe. Eudora had been right about it being worth it.

The only thing Amy didn't like was staying in bed for such an extensive period of time. She wasn't used to being stationary for so long, or the Doctor having to carry her to the bathroom every time she had to go and bringing her every single meal. It was like being handicapped.

"Amelia, what do you think you're doing?" The Doctor asked one day when he caught her trying to escape from the confines of her cot by herself. Her legs weren't working properly yet, however, and he had to sprint to catch her.

"I'm so tired of this! Do you know how boring it is to lay here day after day, especially when there's an entire mysterious planet on the other side of the door?" Amy told him, letting him sit her on the edge of the cot and tuck her hair behind her ear.

"I can imagine. But you're not well yet, Amy."

Amy dismissed this quickly. "Did you find out?"

"Find out what?"

"What happened to Novus Lux. All those burned-down buildings."

"Oh, yeah. It was a rebellion, the brother of the one in power trying to take what he thought belonged to him. They've been fighting a civil war against each other for two years."

"So are we going to help?"

"Well it's not as if it's our fight. And besides, what could we do?"

"But the city, and these people forced to live in trees…it seems like we should do something," Amy remarked, resisting against the Doctor's grip as he pushed her back against the pillows. As was to be expected, she was no match for him, at least at that particular moment.

"Amelia, you just had a baby."

"So?"

The Doctor bent down and kissed her forehead. "So no settling other planet's disputes for you."

"Must you take the fun out of everything?"

"Yes, I must. For the time being, anyway."

Right then River appeared in the doorway, Ian sleeping in her arms. She was turning out to be a good choice for a godmother: whenever Amy needed rest, he would usually go to her without complaining too much. "Doctor, Marjani informed me that Prince Betoto wants to speak with you," she said.

"Betoto?" Amy repeated quizzically.

"Fun to say, isn't it? Prince Betoto is the true ruler of Novus Lux, and our host." The Doctor lifted her chin and looked her in the eye. "Now you stay here and behave while I'm gone, alright? River will be right outside if you need her."

"Okay, sure. Whatever."

"Amy, I mean it." The Doctor pointed two fingers at his eyes and then at River, then directed one towards Amy. River, who was lying Ian down in the crib that Saada had provided, nodded. Amy just rolled her eyes.

* * *

Seconds after the Doctor departed, River stood on the balcony, her hands resting on the smooth wooden rail, studying the night. It was peaceful as always, the hoot of owls echoing spontaneously amongst the treetops. A mild breeze played with her ringlets as if trying to convince her all was well, but the woman couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. To quiet her misgivings, she pushed opened the infirmary door in order to check on Amy. The sight that confronted her made her halt in her tracks.

"What the—get your hands off her!"

Marjani only smirked at her, no longer the obedient girl the others had met upon their arrival in the forest. She had an arm locked around Amy's shoulders and a white cloth pressed over her nose and mouth. Amy thrashed against her hold, her screams muffled by the cloth, but her head was starting to droop as the drug the cloth was soaked in began to kick in. River advanced on the offender, but she had barely taken a step forward when someone hit her on the head from behind. Stars exploded before her eyes, and she fell to the floor, unconscious. The sound awoke Ian, who began to fuss.

"Come on. Let's get out of here," Marjani hissed to her male companion. The Lucian dipped his head in compliance and hefted the lifeless Amy over his shoulder. Together the perpetrators fled the room.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Doctor had just reached Betoto's quarters. Upon his swift knock, the prince opened the door and stared at the Time Lord questioningly.

"Is there something I can help you with, Doctor?"

The Doctor was surprised by this. "Didn't you ask to see me?"

"No." The prince looked equally confused.

A sense of foreboding descended over the Doctor. "Oh no. This can't be good," he muttered. Without offering an explanation, he pivoted on his heel and ran back to the infirmary, the prince following close behind. He took the carved staircase up to it two steps at a time, not wanting to waste one precious second.

The fact that River had left her post and the door was ajar was warning enough. The Doctor crashed through it, his hearts pounding frantically when his eyes alighted on the empty cot and then River's motionless form. "No no no! River, can you hear me? River!"

The time traveler stirred, both the Doctor's voice and Ian's cries rousing her to consciousness. She rubbed the back of her neck and groaned, black spots dancing across her vision.

"River, what happened? Where's Amy?"

"It was Marjani. And someone else; I didn't recognize him. They knocked her out, and took her with them," River said shakily.

Betoto looked none too happy about this. "Guards! Guards! Alert the colony. We have traitors in our midst," he shouted down to a few of his men below the balcony. They bowed and rushed off to do his bidding.

"Are you all right, River?" The Doctor asked concernedly, his hand covering hers.

"I'm fine. It's Amy you should be worried about," River responded, pulling herself up off the floor.

Ian's cries suddenly escalated an octave, and the Doctor retrieved him from the crib. "Shh, little one. We'll find her, I promise," he said with conviction in his son's ear.

* * *

**Sorry it's so short. Another one of those in-between chapters.**

**Yeah, you guys should have figured I would give the Doctor grief just when everything was going so well. Mwahaha :)**

**Thanks for reading, reviews please :)  
**


	30. Worst Enemies and Old Faces

Amy had never felt so ill. All her muscles were sore, and her head seemed too heavy for her body. She was lying on what felt like hard concrete, and when she opened her eyes she realized that it was indeed hard concrete. She tried to sit up, inhaling sharply from the pain that hit her as a result.

"Should we have tied her up?" A masculine voice said.

"We have no reason to. The Time Lord's offspring weakened her sufficiently; she's not going anywhere," answered another voice, this one female. Marjani.

This made Amy's blood boil. With some difficulty she managed to pull herself up into a sitting position against the cinderblock wall and take in the place where she was being held prisoner. It looked like nothing more than a dilapidated storage facility, with newly-installed bars over the high windows to deter any attempts of escape. There was only one door at the far end of the room, made of reinforced steel and guarded by Marjani and her accomplice, who were wielding weapons and conversing in low tones.

"Would one of you like to tell me what the devil is going on? It's not really good manners to knock out and cart off someone who's still convalescing, ya know," Amy told them.

The conversation ceased, and the two glanced over at her. "Those were our orders," Marjani said simply.

"Really? And who gave them to you?"

Marjani's lip curled. "His True Majesty Prince Kondo Kiongozi."

"Marvelous." Amy slumped against the wall, conserving her strength. She yearned for the Doctor, to feel the comfort and shelter his embrace provided. She thought of Ian, and her arms where he usually lay suddenly felt overwhelmingly empty. A sob hitched in her throat at the notion that she might never see either of them again. _He'll come. The Doctor always comes,_ she reassured herself, although doubts were doing their best to tear down the small beacon of hope. "What does he want with me?" She asked.

"Well you're just going to have to wait to find out, aren't you?" Marjani strutted over to her and crouched down so that they were on the same level. "Not that there's anything special about you. As if allowing yourself to be tainted by someone of _that_ species wasn't bad enough."

Amy didn't take kindly to this. Ignoring her protesting muscles, she slapped the dark-skinned woman across her cheek. Marjani hissed and shoved her across the floor, and she had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming.

"Enough, Marjani. His Majesty wishes her to be unharmed," the man at the door said.

Marjani gave Amy one last glare—which she promptly returned—before rising and going back to her post.

Silence descended over the room, leaving everyone to their own thoughts. A few minutes later, however, it was interrupted by a beeping noise. Marjani pressed a button on a device located in her ear and murmured to whoever was on the other end of the communication link.

"His Majesty is ready to see her now," the traitor announced. She approached Amy once more and wrenched her up by her arm, the girl's gasps of pain inconsequential to her.

Amy's face was soon shining with tears, and her limited mobility caused her to stumble over her own feet.

"Ancestors, girl, walk!" Marjani commanded, practically hauling her to the door.

"It would be faster if I carried her," the other guard spoke up, moving forward to help.

"I didn't ask you what would be faster, Enzi. She has two legs and she can bloody well use them!"

"Unfortunately, you are not in authority here. His Majesty specified he wanted her in one piece, and forcing her to walk may impair that order."

Enzi's words were followed by a lengthy stare-down, but it didn't seem like Marjani was looking for an outright fight. The man slid one arm around Amy's shoulders and the other under the bend of her knees, lifting her as if she weighed nothing. Then, all as one, they exited the prison.

The storage facility was located in the ruins of the city, one of the only structures still standing. There was no gunfire this time; Marjani and Enzi were in friendly territory. They moved swiftly through the city until they reached something that must have been a palace at one time, although it had been bombarded so badly not many of its extravagant walls were still standing. Several guards marched the perimeter, materializing out of the mist and then disappearing from sight as they continued in their duty. The two traitors were allowed to pass without question. They entered a court of sorts, the sections missing from the walls covered with thin tapestries. The stone floor was barely intact, but the throne that sat on a raised platform was in fair condition. Upon the throne was a younger version of Betoto, excluding the fact that his head was completely shaved as opposed to the dreadlocks most of his race wore. His garments were fine and a bit overstated, not resembling his brother's in the least. His orange eyes studied Amy.

"The Time Lord's wife, Your Majesty," Enzi said reverently, setting the girl down none to gently before his liege. She pressed her lips together to prevent herself from crying out, not wanting to give Betoto's brother the satisfaction of seeing her at her weakest.

Kondo raised an eyebrow. "Why, she's nothing more than a child," he said, receiving a sharp "Oi!" from his captive. The man left his throne and knelt before her, imprisoning her face in his hand as he inspected her like he was buying a horse. She jerked away.

"Listen, you. You have no idea who you're messin' with. Once my husband finds you—"

Kondo laughed. "I have nothing to fear from a lord of time, dear girl. His is a dying breed, thank the ancestors."

"Why do you hate them so much?" Amy asked. This was the second time she had heard a Lucian speak of the residents of Gallifrey in a derogatory manner.

"Because one of them nearly destroyed the only thing that will fully gain me Novus Lux." Kondo got up and strode to his throne, running his fingers contemplatively over the raised gilt carving of the arm.

"What do you mean?"

"Come, and I will show you." When Amy didn't move, the prince looked at her with something akin to pity. "Oh, I nearly forgot. Poor child, a victim of a Time Lord's selfishness."

"I'm not a 'victim'," Amy snapped, forcing herself to stand. This was the easy part; it was the walking that was giving her trouble.

"Of course not," Kondo answered, although his expression suggested he still thought otherwise. He hooked his arm through Amy's and whisked her from the court. She was forced to lean on him for support, but at least the pain was bearable. He took her through a maze of corridors until they reached a chamber that housed the palace's armory, where ancient weapons of alien design were proudly displayed on the walls. There was one thing, however, that she recognized, something that instilled fear into her heart.

"What the—how did you—what is that doing here?" She questioned, her voice unsteady.

"So you have seen one before?"

"Of course I have. That's a Dalek." Worn out, Amy dropped onto a dusty old chest that was nearby, her eyes never leaving the frightening creature. Unlike its newer, shinier cousins the Doctor had encountered in space during the Second World War, this one's armor was battered and rusting, dents scattered across the polycarbide casing. Its eyestalk was directed towards the ground and lacked any signs of life.

"It is also the weapon I shall use to destroy my brother and his petty followers," Kondo declared arrogantly.

Amy tore her gaze away and focused it on the man. "Are you insane? It's a Dalek. Daleks don't help anyone or anything besides themselves," she said, remembering how Churchill had made a similar mistake. In both cases the means were the same—utilizing the Daleks as a war weapon—but other than winning a war the ends far differed from each other. Either way, there was no possibility of the destructive being willingly aiding the usurper.

"If it were not for the pompous race that once inhabited Gallifrey, this amazing creature would still be in perfect condition. But no matter. It was a Time Lord who decommissioned it, and it is a Time Lord that it will seek revenge upon."

"Oh, yeah, right. _After_ it levels this place, of course. Brilliant plan."

Kondo didn't appear to have heard her, being too preoccupied with his own scheming. "All it needs is the touch of a time traveler to begin its reenergizing process."

"No." His meaning dawning upon her, Amy stumbled to her feet and backed away from the man, knocking over a suit of armor and a display of dull Lucian broadswords. She snatched up a spear and pointed it at him. "I'm not touching that monster so you can just forget it, mister."

Kondo advanced on her and took hold of the spear just behind the point, easily pulling it out of her hands and casting it to the side. He grabbed her by the arm, this time not bothering to be gentle, and sneered in her face. "Your compliance is not necessary."

"What are you, deaf? This isn't going to work! As soon as it restores itself it will kill you! Now stop being an idiot and let go of me!" Amy shouted, her muscles screaming as Kondo forcibly dragged her towards the currently dormant Dalek.

Her hand was mere inches away from the creature's casing when an explosion ripped through the east wall of the armory, sending debris raining down on them. The smoke cleared to reveal two people bearing blaster weapons, both dark-skinned, although not in the same way as the Lucians. One of them, the female, moved forward.

"Martha and Mickey Smith, alien hunters extraordinaire. Mind if we join the party?"

* * *

**Up to 81 pages in Microsoft Word. Craziness.**

**The part with a time traveler having to touch the Dalek to revitalize it was taken from the 2005 episode _Dalek_, in which Rose brings a Dalek back to life just by placing her hand on it. Apparently the Lucian history books are very descriptive about both Time Lords and Daleks. You think Kondo would have known better about using a Dalek to his advantage, but you know, blinded by the lust for victory and all that.  
**

**Why did I bring previous companions Martha Jones and Mickey Smith back? Don't know. I think a lot; it's hard to keep track.**

**Thanks for reading, reviews would be awesome :)  
**


	31. Rescue Mission

The Doctor and Betoto watched the palace from afar, hidden by a large sooty pile of what had once been a townhouse. Behind them was a cluster of Betoto's best warriors, their weapons at the ready. River had stayed behind with Ian, who ended up crying himself into a fitful sleep. She had urged them to hurry, however: it wouldn't be long before he started demanding his mother and no one else.

"What I don't understand is what they could possibly want with her. I mean sure, she was the most powerless, excluding the baby, but that still doesn't explain why they took her. We pose no threat to your brother as far as I know; just tourists who happened to show up at the wrong time," the Doctor mused, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"I wish I knew my brother's motives, Doctor, but I have long since given up trying to unravel what goes on in his twisted mind," Betoto replied. "I promise you this, though. My men and I will return your wife to you if it's the last thing we do."

"Your kindness is outstanding, Betoto, and I thank you for it. I only hope we aren't too late."

* * *

Meanwhile within the armory room, Kondo still had Amy in his clutches.

"Come on, mate. Let the girl go," Martha ordered, her calf-high black leather boots clicking against the stone floor. Her blaster, which looked like a deadly cross between a futuristic rifle and a trombone, was pointed at Kondo, a silver wedding band glimmering on the mocha-brown hand that was poised on the trigger. Guards' shouts could be heard from afar off, coming closer ever second.

Kondo grinned. "No, I've waited too long for this. It's not every day that time travelers just fall into your lap."

Before anyone could do anything, The Lucian closed the gap between Amy's hand and the Dalek, making her inhale sharply when the contact burned her skin and left a glowing print behind. Almost immediately the Dalek began to come back to life, the lights in the armory flickering as it drew energy from them.

"SYSTEMS RESTORING! SYSTEMS RESTORING! EXTERMINATE!" The staccato mechanical voice echoed ominously through the room, getting louder with each syllable. Kondo fell back, and Amy took the opportunity to escape. Mickey grabbed her before she could collapse and pulled her behind his companion.

"Oh no you don't!" Martha shouted at the armored alien. She turned a dial on her blaster as far as it could go and took aim. A blue pulse exploded from the end of the weapon, incinerating the Dalek before it was able to restore its shields.

"Nooo!" Kondo yelled, but it was too late. His war machine had been torn to shreds, along with his aspiration of gaining the upper hand over his brother.

"Martha, we should move. He's got reinforcements on the way," Mickey said, hefting Amy up into his arms.

Martha nodded, and they left the armory through the gaping hole they had created in the wall. Racing through the hallways, the three didn't come up against opposition until they were outside the gates of the palace. A regiment of soldiers opened fire on them as they crossed open land, but the two alien hunters were quick on their feet. They dodged every blast and took refuge in the most substantial rubble they could find.

"Are you alright, love?" Martha asked Amy, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. She looked exhilarated rather than fearful.

"In a manner of speakin'," Amy answered in a wavering voice. "No offense but you two don't look at all like you're from here."

"That's cause we're not. We're from Earth. Just landed here by accident. Secondhand vortex manipulators; don't expect to end up exactly in the place you were shooting for. And this one's particularly tempermental," Martha said, pulling up the sleeve of her leather jacket to reveal a rather ancient-looking vortex manipulator.

"I'm from Earth too. Well, originally. Name's Amy Pond."

"Nice to meet you." Martha smiled and shook her hand.

"They're getting closer now," Mickey said sharply from his lookout spot by the doorway. Martha and Amy fell silent, listening.

The silence was suddenly broken by a battle cry, coming from a little distance away. The ground shook as blaster fire was exchanged, ripping into the buildings when they missed.

"What's going on?" Amy asked.

"Someone's attacking them, looks like," Mickey responded, watching the scene before him in astonishment. The others moved on either side of him to catch a glimpse of the skirmish.

It was Betoto and his men, employing their element of surprise as an advantage over the traitors. The Doctor was there as well, his sonic screwdriver effectively rendering the enemy's weapons useless. Amy felt a huge weight lift off her chest at the sight of him.

The Smiths hadn't seen him yet. They had decided the diversion was their best chance of escape and were too preoccupied with how to go about it.

"This way!" Martha said, climbing stealthily out of the rubble. Mickey picked Amy up again and followed his wife into the street.

"No, wait! Doctor!" Amy hollered.

The din almost drowned her out, but the Doctor's perceptive hearing caught her voice, and he turned towards it. His face lit up when his gaze landed on the ginger. "Fall back!" He shouted to Betoto, who looked at him in confusion. When he realized the reason for his command, however, the rightful ruler of Novus Lux repeated it to his warriors, and they withdrew from the battle.

"Hold on, did you just say the Doctor?" Martha inquired, she and her husband exchanging shocked glances.

"Yeah…" Amy studied the pair, wondering how they knew him.

There was no time for explanation. Betoto's men surrounded them and escorted them safely back to the tunnel through the knoll, losing some of their number in the process. Upon reaching the tree colony, those who lived there descended upon the injured and spirited them away to the infirmary.

"Amelia!" The Doctor pulled the girl into his arms, combing his fingers roughly through her hair and pressing her as close as he could to him. "You scared the living daylights out of me."

Amy buried her face into his shoulder, trying to absorb all that was the Doctor. "It was a Dalek, Doctor. Kondo somehow got his hands on one, and he needed me to regenerate it."

The Doctor pulled back a little and looked at her, clearly taken unawares. "He didn't."

"He did, but it's okay now. It's gone, blasted to pieces. You can thank Martha here for that."

"Martha?"

The Doctor scanned the clearing, suddenly alert. He didn't have to look for long; Martha and Mickey were already approaching them, almost cautiously.

"Doctor? Is it really you?" Martha couldn't believe it. Could it really be him, that incredible man she had once traveled with, the same alien she had admitted to having loved at one time? They had done so much together; visited Shakespeare, taken on Sontarans, defeated the Toclafane.

But this man, this bowtie and suspenders-wearing youth, was so different from the Doctor that had saved her and Mickey from a Sontaran sniper all those years ago. He was watching her in similar wonderment, not drawing away when she reached a tentative hand up to touch his cheek, as if making sure he was real.

"Well well, Martha Jones. Been a while," the Doctor said softly.

"You're telling me. It's Martha Smith now, by the way." Martha smiled and threaded her fingers through Mickey's, who grinned in response.

"Ah yes, good old Mickey Smith. I just can't seem to get rid of you, can I?"

Mickey was having a hard time finding a response to this, but luckily there was no need. Amy had her own bit to contribute.

"Wait, so you two—all of you—know each other?"

"Yeah, we go back a bit. Funny place to meet again, though, Novus Lux," the Doctor said in reply.

"Faulty vortex manipulator."

"Ah. You never can trust cheap forms of time travel."

Amy applied pressure to the bridge of her nose, thinking that this was a little too much for one day. She could feel a migraine coming on, and her vision was starting to blur.

"Whoa there. It's alright, I've got you." The Doctor caught her just as she was losing her balance.

River suddenly appeared beside them, looking relieved. "Thank God. I was worried sick," she breathed, hugging Amy.

"River, where's Ian?" The Doctor asked right away.

"Relax. Saada's watching him for me. Oh, and Betoto wanted me to tell you he has a hut prepared for you; figures Amy would like it better than the infirmary."

"Would you mind taking her there for me? I'll be up in a bit, just have some things to discuss with the prince."

River nodded and led Amy away, letting her rest her head wearily against her shoulder.

"Is she going to be okay? Amy, I mean. She sure looks like she's been put through the wringer," Martha commented, watching them go.

"She's been through a lot more than the wringer, I'll give you that. And mostly because of me." Without offering an explanation the Doctor walked off, distracted by his own dark musings as he headed towards the Lucian prince.

"Do you get the feeling that there's something he isn't letting us in on about Amy?" Martha asked Mickey, squinting after him.

"Not really. I mean, the Doctor always talks in riddles," her husband said with a shrug.

"True, but they usually mean something more often than not. I intend to find out what's behind this one."

* * *

**Thanks for reading.**

**Doctor Who is awesome.**

**Please review.**

**That is all.**

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	32. Onwards

When Amy reached the hut, she sank gratefully into the bed that had been made up for her. River quickly checked her vitals.

"You'll be fine after a little sleep," she informed.

"I want to see my son first," Amy said insistently, sitting up against the pillows.

"Just as well. No telling what he's doing to Saada right now." When River went to get him, she found him screaming his tiny lungs out. Saada looked more than happy to return him.

"There's my wee man," Amy said delightedly when she saw him, taking him into her arms and holding him close. "Oh how I've missed you."

Ian was happy to see her too, although for slightly different reasons. Amy laughed as he began to nuzzle her, the snuffling sound he made from pressing his nose into her shirt reminding her of a piglet. "Alright, alright. I got your message," she said, helping him out.

Later, when the Doctor came up, he found River passed out in the armchair by the door, and Amy and Ian fast asleep in the bed, a dribble of milk drying at the corner of his son's mouth. He smiled, patting River's hand and kissing the foreheads of his family. With all of them together with him, he felt whole again.

There was a soft knock on the door, and curiously the Doctor went to answer it. Martha was standing there. Before she could speak he put a finger to her lips and moved outside with her, shutting the door behind him.

"I just wanted to let you know that Mickey and I plan on leaving tonight," Martha told him. "Fingers crossed the vortex manipulator doesn't overshoot by a few centuries again—or light years, for that matter."

"Oh come on, must you say goodbye so soon? We haven't even gotten a chance to catch up yet," the Doctor replied.

"There's not much reason to stay. We were going to leave as soon as we arrived earlier today, but then our scanner picked up the Dalek's signal. Our mission here is complete."

"Just stay until tomorrow morning, and I'll take you back in the TARDIS. I can take you anywhere you want to go, actually."

Martha smiled, old memories shining in her liquid brown eyes. "Still got that old box, have you?"

"Yeah, and she's still as big on the inside as she ever was. Got a makeover last regeneration; looks rather smashing. You should see her."

"Alright, I guess we can take you up on that." Martha glanced momentarily at the door, on the verge of asking her friend about his new Scottish companion, but she figured it could wait until the morning.

"Has Betoto offered you a place to sleep for the night?" The Doctor inquired.

Martha nodded. "Yes, he did. Nice bloke, him."

"Yes he is. Well, see you in the morning then."

"Good night."

"Night." The Doctor smiled one last time before stepping back inside the room and closing the door as quietly as he could.

* * *

The following morning, Martha awoke to the pale forest sunlight streaming through the window of the hut. It took her a while to orientate herself with her surroundings, but once she remembered where she was, she smiled.

"Mickey, wake up!" Martha said, flipping over to face her husband.

Mickey groaned sleepily and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Morning," he murmured, kissing her.

"Come on, sleepyhead. The Doctor's expecting us," Martha reminded him, kissing him back before sliding out of bed. Mickey yawned and followed suit.

"Are you sure about this? Riding in the TARDIS again, with him?" He asked, pulling a T-shirt over his head.

"Course I am. It's only one trip."

"It's never only one trip with him."

"What, you had enough adventure already? Thought you had a little more mettle than that."

"Hardly. If that were true I wouldn't have gone into freelance alien hunting with you. Gotta have courage to do that."

"What, the alien hunting part or the going into it with me part?"

"The hunting part, of course…yeah, the hunting part," Mickey said, stammering a little. "Although you do have your days."

"Oh shut it." Martha pulled her braids into a long ponytail and zipped up her jacket. "You coming then?"

* * *

Breakfast in the forests of Novus Lux was taken in the Mead Hall and consisted of grilled vegetables, rice, and wafers. The Doctor showed up for only a moment, piling whatever he could grab on a tray and taking it back up for Amy. River stayed, however, rocking the wide-eyed Ian in her arms.

"What a sweet baby," Martha remarked, stroking his fair hair. "Is he yours?"

"Oh heavens, no. His mother is the girl you rescued yesterday," River answered. "Would you mind holding him for a bit? I'm starving."

"No problem." Martha took the soft bundle from the woman and put him over her shoulder, patting his back gently. He hiccoughed and began to explore the leather of her jacket with his mouth. "Look at that, I think he likes me," she remarked, grinning as she felt his little heartbeat against her body.

"Is something wrong?" River asked, noticing that Martha had pulled the newborn away from her and was staring at it in shock. Ian stared back, his bright green eyes inquisitive as always.

Martha didn't respond at first. She laid her fingers against his chest, gently probing both sides of it.

"Martha, what's up?" Mickey had noticed her unusual behavior as well and half-expected the baby to turn into a miniature green Martian from the way she was looking at it.

"Two heartbeats, Mickey."

"So he's half-alien. We've seen worse."

"Not just half of any alien. River—that's your name, right? Who's the father?" Martha questioned, not really needing to hear the answer to know.

"Why, the Doctor."

"Unbelievable." To say Martha was surprised would be an understatement. The Doctor had always seemed so separated from his companions, knowing it would be unwise to get too close. There had been times, she knew, what with the whole Rose business. But Martha had never thought he'd ever go as far as to father a child with a human he traveled with.

"Well it's not that strange. I mean, Amy is his wife," River said.

"Wife?" Martha had to sit down for this one.

"Are you all right, sweetie?" River asked, her food long forgotten.

"Yeah, I'm good. It's just…wow."

"Sorry, Amy only just drifted off again. Did I miss anything?"

The Doctor suddenly appeared in their midst. He took one look at his son in Martha's arms and the expression on her face and said, "Oh."

"Doctor, you have got _a lot _of explaining to do," Martha told him firmly.

* * *

"I apologize for not telling you sooner, but I wasn't sure how you'd react," the Doctor admitted. He and Martha were facing each other on the bridge outside the Mead Hall, which was approximately twenty feet off the ground. The sun was trying its best to shine through the leaves overhead, patterning the forest floor with pale splotches of light.

"But she's human. And she can't be more than twenty one," Martha replied, crossing her arms and leaning against the uneven railing.

"Yes, but here's the thing. She's never going to be more than twenty one."

"What do you mean?"

So the Doctor told her everything, starting from when he first met Amy Pond up to the present, of the Fountain of Youth and Dulkis and what happened in Greece. By the time he was finished she was dumbfounded.

"Well I guess that just about sums it up," Martha remarked.

"Does it bother you?"

"No, of course not. It's just new, you having a family now and all. Suppose I don't have to worry about you being alone anymore." Martha smiled wanly. "Your son, what's his name?"

"Ian."

"Not very Gallifreyan, eh?"

"It was Amy's choice. I don't think he'd want a Gallifreyan name; they're terribly long and difficult to pronounce. You don't even want to know the one I was born with."

"Well he is a cutie. Surprising; he must have gotten his looks from his mother."

"Hilarious." The Doctor shook his head wryly. "So you and Mickey, freelance alien hunters. How's that been going for you?"

"Pretty well. Not quite the same as saving the universe, but still, never a dull day."

"No, I wouldn't imagine so."

"We've missed you, though. We were certain we'd never see you again, after that last time with the sniper. When you…"

"Yeah, well, that's all over now. I have a tendency of turning up again, although not always at the best of times."

"Got a point there."

The Doctor grinned, shoving his hands in his pockets and walking back towards the Mead Hall. Martha fell in step with him, studying his new profile at the same time. This latest face intrigued her, being capable of showing his nine hundred years and making him look youthful at the same time. Whenever he looked at her with curiosity or confusion, she felt like she was reading his life story in the lines of his forehead and crinkles around his eyes. Although if there was one thing she knew, it was that she would never understand everything written there.

* * *

"Look, Doctor, I really appreciate ya being so concerned, but I'm going to do this on my own. Got it?"

"Amy, please. I don't want you getting hurt."

Amy tapped her husband on the nose and smiled. "I won't. I just want to walk to the TARDIS like a normal person. Well, a sort of normal person."

Reluctantly the Doctor backed away, allowing her to get out of bed by herself. She changed into jeans and a cotton sweatshirt, moving slowly due to the soreness in her body. Then she opened the door, breathed deeply, and marched outside.

The Doctor lifted Ian out of his cradle and placed him over his shoulder. "She's going to kill herself one day, your mum. But you can't help admiring her spirit. Now listen, I better not catch you gnawing on the bowtie again. Despite what she says it's cool." Ian gurgled, which his father took as a good enough answer. "Glad to see we understand each other."

The Time Lord moved outside where Amy was waiting with River, and together they descended the staircase down to the forest floor.

"Morning!" Martha appeared from another set of steps, Mickey right behind her.

"Doctor!"

Everyone turned to find Betoto hurrying towards them.

"Hello there, Your Majesty. Fine morning, isn't it?" The Doctor greeted.

"Yes, it is. I wanted to thank you before you left," Betoto told him.  
"Oh? What for?"

"We just got word this morning. Kondo committed suicide shortly after the incident yesterday, and his followers have surrendered to us. Lucians aren't accustomed to so much war," the prince replied. He watched the Doctor's reaction and was mildly surprised. "I thought you would be relieved."

"Oh I am. But traitor or no he was your brother," the Doctor answered.

"He was, a long time ago. He changed, though. In my mind, the true Kondo Kiongozi died years ago."

The Doctor patted him reassuringly on the back. "What are you waiting for, then? Reclaim your kingdom."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay just a little longer? We Lucians are well known for our celebrations."

"I'd love to, but we really do need to get going. Thank you anyway for the offer."

Betoto bowed his head respectfully. "Best of luck to you then, wherever you're headed. And don't forget us."

"Course not. This is my son's birthplace, after all."

The prince smiled and then withdrew, fading into the sunlit mists of the woodland.

The trek over the open terrain of Novus Lux went unhindered. The mists were starting to lift, and the sun was burning brightly as if it knew it was the dawn of a new age. The Doctor kept a close eye on Amy the entire way, but if she was hurting she wasn't letting it show. She clasped his hand in hers and smiled, always the trooper.

"Now there's a sight for sore eyes," Martha announced as they neared the TARDIS. She ran her hand over the blue-painted wood, reminiscing over the past. The Doctor snapped his fingers, and the door opened for her. "The Doctor was right. You are looking smashing, old friend," she commented upon entering the time machine. The TARDIS hummed warmly in response.

"Here, I'll take Ian to the nursery. I'm sure the TARDIS is excited about him seeing it," Amy said, retrieving the boy. The Doctor drew her in by the waist and planted a tender kiss on her lips before letting her head up the stairs. Martha watched the exchange and was surprised to find that she didn't feel one ounce of jealousy. The Doctor had found what he needed, and so had she.

Once Amy had disappeared, the Doctor bounded over to the console, wiggling his fingers over the controls like an excited child. "Right, is everyone in? No one hanging any arms, limbs, or other important body parts outside the TARDIS? Nursery stabilized, River? Good. Geronimo!"

* * *

**Okay, I decided it was time for a story split, mostly because the next chapters are going to go in a slightly new direction what with Martha and Mickey on board and some more stuff coming up. This will be the last chapter in the first part, but it isn't the end of the universe, I promise :)**

**Thanks for reading, please review and all that good stuff.  
**


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